


A Life Worth Living

by DebsTheSlytherinSnapeFan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Full Shift Werewolves eventually, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-02-17 17:59:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 156,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13082253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DebsTheSlytherinSnapeFan/pseuds/DebsTheSlytherinSnapeFan
Summary: Stiles doesn't wait for Scott to come through with the bullet (S1 Ep 4) instead he goes to someone he knows he can trust Derek in tow...which is proven time and time again as his savior continues to come through for him. What would happen if Stiles was told about his spark straight from the start? With the aid of someone who can show him what he can do?





	1. Chapter 1

A Life worth living

Chapter 1

Stiles felt as though he had been off his Adderall for days, even though he knew he had taken a dose this morning. It certainly didn't just feel like this morning. School had been fine, then Derek bloody Hale just appeared out of nowhere in the school parking lot looking close to death shifting sporadically. He didn't want to go home because he couldn't protect himself! He wasn't a werewolf! He wouldn't be able to protect Derek from anything. The waiting game was driving him insane, and the fact that Scott wasn't answering his damn cell made him want to punch Scott although all that would accomplish would be him hurting himself.

"Pick up, pick up!" Stiles muttered under his breath, glancing back at the werewolf bleeding to death in this jeep. He had just swung back around when the call connected, he couldn't keep the relief out of his voice. "Finally! Where are you?" he'd called a million times, most of the time it went to voicemail. He wished Scott would get that bullet already, he didn't want a dead werewolf on his hands he would never be able to explain that to his dad.

"I'm still at Alison's," Scott explained, his tone softening just talking about her. As if he could sense Stiles annoyance over the phone he protested, "I'm trying!"

"What am I supposed to do with him in the meantime?" Stiles argued right back, this wasn't what he had expected to be doing tonight.

"Take him somewhere, anywhere." Scott replied.

"And, by the way, he's starting to smell!" Stiles added, his heart pounding erratically, admitting it just made it seem all that more real.

"Like - like what?" Scott answered slightly confused.

"Like death." was the blunt reply, but that was Stiles for you.

"Okay, take him to the animal clinic." Scott replied as if it solved everything. To the love sick teenager it probably did and made Stiles want to gouge out his eyes.

"What about your boss?" Stiles pointed out a potential problem.

"He's gone by now. There's a spare key in the box behind the dumpster." Scott explained, his desire to be off the phone was obvious even to the human Stiles was.

"You're not gonna believe where he's telling me to take you." Stiles threw at Derek a sardonic smirk on his face, just imagining his reaction.

"Did you find it?" Derek demanded, but his tone wasn't as harsh and cold as usual due to his vulnerable state.

"How am I supposed to find one bullet? They have a million. This house is like - the freaking Wal-Mart of guns!" Scott complained.

"Look, if you don't find it, then I'm dead, all right?" Derek retorted sharply, and behind his anger Derek was terrified. Here he was relying on a teenager to find him a bullet surrounded by the deadliest hunter family in existence.

"I'm starting to think that wouldn't be such a bad thing." Scott replied.

"Then think about this. The Alpha called you out against your will. He's gonna do it again. Next time you either kill with him or you get killed. So if you wanna stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet." Derek ordered tersely.

"I think I might know someone who could help," Stiles murmured, wondering why he hadn't thought of him in the first place. He hastily made another phone call, his heart pounding as he listened to it ring.

"Hello, Mie-"

Stiles made a strangled sound down the phone, he did not want anyone to know his first name. "Are you a hunter?" he blurted out, praying that he wasn't so he could go to him for help.

"Excuse me?" the deceptively calm voice on the other end intoned - a very British voice Derek noted - the sound of sizzling going on in the background as he cooked.

"Are you a hunter?" Stiles questioned, not noticing the look Derek shot him at the fact he wasn't being a sassy sarcastic shit like he was prone to doing even with his own father.

"What kind of hunter?" the voice asked yet again, the voice tense and rung with alertness.

"Werewolf!" Stiles blurted out before he could chicken out, moving to avoid Derek trying to stop him revealing it.

The voice inhaled and choked suddenly, "Oh, bloody hell, kid, what have you got yourself into now?"

Silence was his answer.

"No, I'm not a werewolf hunter, what is going on?" the voice demanded, "Stiles? I need you to be truthful with me, now are you in danger."

Stiles swallowed thickly, glancing at Derek for confirmation, while Derek reluctantly gave, nodding to confirm that this guy whoever he was - was indeed not a hunter. "We need help, I'm not the one in trouble,"

"Supernatural trouble?" was asked, a sigh followed by presumably a pinched nose, "Should have guessed you'd get sucked into kid,"

"Yes!" Stiles replied, glancing again at Derek, the smell coming off him was getting steadily worse.

"Okay, care to explain what exactly has happened?" the English man asked, the sound of the sizzling had ceased, there was nothing to hear in the background now…except the steady beat of his heart.

"Wolfsbane," Stiles explained, wondering whether he would know everything or just that the supernatural existed out there.

"Do you know what kind?" was asked, his heartbeat still remaining calm.

"No, neither of us do, but it will kill him soon if he doesn't get help! Scott's trying to find the 'magic bullet'," Stiles used sarcasm for the first time.

"Which implies you don't know how it works," the voice replied, "That magic bullet as you put it, will indeed save whoever has been shot with Wolfsbane, where are you right now?"

Stiles told him, feeling much more calm and relaxed knowing he wasn't solely responsible for what was happening right now. If there was anyone he trusted as much as his dad, it was him, and he'd never question him about anything knowing he'd always tell him the truth. He didn't want his dad dragged into all this, but some of the books he remembered in the house had piqued his curiosity, he'd assumed they were just myth books but now that he knew…perhaps they weren't after all.

"Get yourselves here as quickly as you can, keep Scott updated on what is happening," the voice cautioned Stiles.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," Stiles replied, hanging up the phone, he switched his jeep on and praying it would get them there without breaking down.

Derek made a noise of protest.

Stiles looked around at the werewolf, "Look he knows about werewolves, he can help you!" with that he turned back around and drove as fast as he dared in his jeep.

Derek must have seen the sense in it since he didn't move, and if he didn't really want to go, Stiles suspected he would have got out the jeep one way or another as injured as he was. Stiles shot off a quick text to Scott to explain the situation, giving him the address they were going to and to get there quickly as possible.

Afterwards Stiles mouth went a mile a minute, talking about everything and anything that came to his mind. As always his filter was absolutely nowhere to be seen. If Derek had the strength he would have told the teen to shut up and shove him against the door, as it stood he didn't have the energy to move a finger let alone his arm.

He was almost glad when they got to wherever they were going.

Derek blinked at the sight before him, his heart giving a painful twinge, he was vividly reminded of his own home. It was even smack dab in the middle of the woods, he wouldn't say as far in as his house is. There was lush grass surrounding the property whereas his had trees ensconced everywhere the moment you stepped outside. Before he could continue to compare them, the door to the jeep was wrenched open, and Stiles was there trying to help him out trying to keep the weight of the werewolf upright using his back as a leaver for the injured were to walk as best as he was able.

Derek was able to smell and sense the man before he saw him, he smelt…strange, unlike anything Derek had ever smelt before in his life. Whoever this person was…they weren't human, not fully anyway. Then there he stood in the open doorway, tall, graceful, handsome and had an aura that screamed dangerous…like a predator. His aristocratic features pulled together in concern. He swiftly moved to help Stiles, able to take Derek's weight much easier and without difficulty when compared to Stiles who couldn't walk without tripping constantly as it was without his weight hindering him.

Which so happened, as soon as he was able Stiles began to flail as he made his way to the house he was obviously more than just vaguely familiar with. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the stranger roll his eyes and suppress a smile at the teens antics.

Derek couldn't help but wonder how they knew each other.

"Lets get you inside," the non-human said.

Derek was sweating profusely, but determinedly trudging on, he didn't trust anyone enough to fall unconscious, so he forced his eyes open and refused to give into the pain. He paid no attention to the property, where he was being guided to, or any more attention to the man helping him. He couldn't help the utter sigh of relief that left his lips as he was guided into a chair he would have crumbled if he wasn't so used to the damn pain.

"Do I have your permission to remove your jacket?" he asked kneeling down to directly face Derek.

Derek's eyes flashed in surprise, gratitude flowing through him as he ultimately nodded, it needed to be removed if he had to cut off his own arm anyway. Which was just his back up plan if Scott didn't get back in time, he'd rather be down an arm than dead even if it made him vulnerable. The man was very gentle but efficient in quickly removing his leather jacket without jarring him too much.

"It's very advanced," he said, visibly wincing at the state of Derek's arm, which was in a sorry state, the veins standing out bright red around the glowing bullet wound travelling up his arm. "Do you know what strain of Wolfsbane was used?"

"Er…does Northern blue Monkshood mean anything to you?" Stiles says, looking up from his phone.

"It's a rare form of Wolfsbane," both the stranger and Derek state at the same time much to Stiles amusement.

"He has to bring me that bullet," Derek added.

"Why?" asked Stiles typing away on his phone.

"'Cause I'm going to die without it," Derek told him, eyes narrowing as he watched the stranger disappear.

"It says here it's only grown in four states, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio and New York. The united states Fish and Wildlife have it on the endangered species list," Stiles rambled on, "The flowers bloom between June and September and are pollinated when bumblebees pry open the blossom to collect nectar and pollen."

"It's endangered because of hunters, its quite a sought after strain of Wolfsbane, deadly for sure, but not the deadliest," Stiles was educated, as the guy brought in two jars that both held aconite but they were expertly sealed closed not even Derek's nose could smell it which was impossible, while jars were good at sealing things in…it couldn't do so fully not against a nose like his.

"What are you?" Derek asked harshly, every line of his face marred with suspicion.

A smirk stole over Harry's features, "My name is Harry Potter, as for what I am…that is for me to know and you to find out,"

Stiles whiskey eyes widened in shock, to suspect he knew about the supernatural due to all the book was one thing…but to hear he was something supernatural himself? He flailed a bit, before he frowned trying to work out what he knew about Harry to see if anything fit.

"But know that I am no danger to you, I really do wish to help," Harry told the werewolf sombrely, "My only regret in this is that Stiles now knows about the supernatural." seeing the look of protest, "It ain't pretty kid, don't give me that look, the bad seriously outweighs the good." and if he joined a pack…it would ignite his spark into a blazing, roaring inferno making him one of the most powerful beings in the universe on par with him given time - a long time if he survived. Only limited to only his imagination, and he knew Stiles well, his mind was an overwhelming place to be.

Derek nodded grimly after Harry's heartbeat doesn't once betray a lie.

Stiles life was about to get interesting, and of course, he would do all he could to protect the teenager from harm.

Even Harry had no idea what awaited him…he would be pushed to the max to keep his promise.


	2. Chapter 2

A Life worth Living

Chapter 2

"Your t-shirt needs to be removed, may I?" Harry questioned, glancing briefly at Stiles who was deeply ensnared in his mobile phone.

Derek nodded once, curtly, the t-shirt which was now utterly ruined, soiled with blood and sweat that even magic probably couldn't get out completely was carefully removed. Harry's lips twitched at Stiles gaping, however, briefly it was. He could see the appeal in the desire to do so, the werewolf was seriously ripped, but it definitely wasn't appropriate, and so he refused to let his eyes linger for even a moment.

"Stiles, come here, you might as well learn something seen as you're here," Harry commanded, gesturing with his index finger, then pointing next to him, Harry removed one of the flowers, setting it into a bowl before setting fire to it - using a lighter - he wasn't stupid enough to reveal his magic to a stranger, not due to whether he could be trusted to keep the secret or not since all supernatural creatures that were rational (not feral) instinctively knew to keep the supernatural hidden. No, he just didn't know whether he was a bad guy or not, and if he was, then Harry wanted all and every advantage conceivable. Despite his dark brooding demeanour he didn't believe he was one of the bad ones, but the same could have been said for Peter Pettigrew. Look how that had worked out. He had torn the life of five people apart. His mother, father, Sirius, Remus and of course him.

"It has to be set fire to, once its done scoop it up, now this bits painful, you ready?" Harry asked.

"Get on with it," Derek snarled, getting defensive at the care he was receiving, he wasn't used to it, with the obvious exception of his family, his sister.

"If this is your normal demeanour you should adjust it accordingly," Harry stated as he poured the contents of the dish into his hand. "Help is being freely offered to you, not everyone has the good fortune to have that help."

Stiles hid a grin behind his phone as he watched Derek closely, he knew how it felt. Harry didn't get angry, he'd never seen him that way. If he got disappointed or anything close to anger he was able to completely destroy you with words, not with sarcasm like he did, but just making you feel like an utter dickhead. Harry's method was much more affective than his dads and that was saying something, and he'd felt it a few times over the years.

Derek wasn't so easily broken; he merely flashed his teeth and eyes at Harry.

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to run away or be intimidated?" Harry questioned as calmly as you please. Barely able to suppress the laugh he wanted to let loose at the growl of anger Derek let out after his words. "You're like an impudent pup,"

Derek scowled before looking away; if he'd had the strength he would have been more intimidating he assured himself mentally, just before he regurgitated an alarming about of black goo.

"Brace yourself," Harry said, they couldn't delay any longer, his tone as always quiet and confident. Once he had made sure that Stiles was watching, he showed him the contents in his hand before stiffening his spine and pressing the burnt down Wolfsbane into the glowing open wound. The scream that he let out was excruciating and covered the sound of Scott entering the house, or would have if Harry didn't have every ward convincible on his property and the surroundings.

"WOW! THAT…WAS…AWESOME!" Stiles exclaimed, watching as the wound began to heal, the red lines that were leading to his heart disappearing slowly. He sobered up at the sight of Harry's arched brow, and then asked Derek, "Are you okay?"

"Well, except for the agonizing pain," Derek muttered dryly.

"Well I'm guessing sarcasm is a good sign of health," Stiles said, relaxing now that the danger had passed, he could only imagine how he would have been if he hadn't thought to contact Harry. Considering how close it had been…would Scott have been too late?

"You'd know," Harry told Stiles in amusement.

"That's Harry?" Scott asked Stiles completely forgetting to whisper as would be polite when you were talking about someone who was right in front of you.

"Yes," Stiles nodded with a grin on his face, realizing his best friend hadn't seen Harry before. "Harry this is Scott McCall, my best bro!"

"But I thought he was old!" Scott protested, "Like old man, old!"

Harry choked on his chortles, "Do I even want to know what you've been saying about me that gave that impression?" he was twenty-eight-years-old thank you very much.

"Now we've saved your life you're going to leave us alone, you got that? If you don't I'm going to go to Allison's dad and tell him everything-," Scott told Derek his tone angry and bitter.

"You're going to trust them? You think they can help you?" Derek stared straight at Scott as he spoke; all three of them had seemed to forget about Harry being there.

Harry was watching the scene in front of him feeling curious and caution was there really a kid actually threatening to reveal the supernatural world? If he did that he was as good as dead, and everyone would be made to forget his entire existence. Then he saw the eyes flashing gold, hmm, a young werewolf, he must be missing something surely he wasn't stupid enough to reveal a world he was part of?

"Well why not? They're a lot freaking nicer than you are!" Scott protested vehemently.

A bitter smile twisted across Harry's face, what a naïve little fool, it was the 'kind' ones you actually wanted to keep a look out for. He had learned that the hard way, during his younger years, probably younger than this teenager was.

Derek's own eyes flashed, "I can show you how nice they are,"

"Don't put that back on, especially if you're going to be in public, as dark as the fabric is, you can see blood on it." Harry told Derek - he still didn't know his name - "Give me a minute," and with that Harry left the room, off to find something for the guy to wear.

A few moments later Harry returned with a long sleeved vest in white, the tags were still attached, he knew werewolves were very territorial and wouldn't like to wear other peoples' things unless they had absolutely no choice or if they were pack.

"Stiles, we need to talk, come by this weekend," Harry told the teenager; he had to tell him about his spark, keeping it hidden was just asking for trouble. It was already Friday right now, which gave him tomorrow morning to get out the books relevant to what Stiles was and come up with a way for the teenager to understand…especially one who had literally only just came upon the supernatural world.

"Aren't you coming?" Stiles questioned, he was curious about what Derek meant by 'showing them how nice they were' he had a feeling he wouldn't like it either way but when did that stop him?

"Fine, but we use my car," Harry told them, "I've told you, I'm not getting into that jeep until you let me get it fixed for you."

"Fine," Stiles agreed, "But don't talk bad about Roscoe!"

"It's held together with duck tape," Harry said dryly, but he said nothing further, for he knew just how much that jeep meant to the teenager. With that the four of them went down to the garage, the teenagers almost wet themselves with excitement at the sight of all the cars and motorbikes lined up in Harry's garage. Harry moved to the side to grab the green and black Chevrolet Camaro keys. It was mostly green with two black stripes down the front of the bonnet. You could tell it was his favourite make, since Harry had three Chevrolet Camero's, a black one - exactly like Derek's - the green and black one and a white one with black stripes and neon lights his favourite thing about that car was the fact the car doors opened upwards. What could only be agreed though was that they were all extremely fast sport cars.

Pressing down on the keys to open the door, the teenagers all but dived into the car, complaining when they had to sit at the back. Harry wasn't about to sit in the back of his own car, bad enough he was actually letting someone else drive him - it was like being a passenger on his own broomstick - he was grateful at least that the guy realized the trust he was being given. Either that or he was just outright surprised to be given the keys full stop.

Twenty minutes later they were outside Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital.

"Derek why are we here?" Scott demanded, as he followed Derek through the long term care facility until they entered a room, that housed a man, sitting facing the window, he didn't even react to their entrance.

Derek didn't answer Scott.

"Your brother?" Harry asked his tone soft reading the notes at the bottom of the bed, his name was Peter Hale. He was twenty-six years old.

"My Uncle, Peter Hale," Derek said.

"Is he - like you, a werewolf?" Scott asked.

"He was. Now he's barely even human. Six years ago, my sister and I were at school, and our house caught fire. Eleven people trapped inside. He was the only survivor." Derek revealed.

"So - what makes you so sure they set the fire?" Scott asked.

"Cause they were the only ones that knew about us," Derek told him.

Harry glanced pensively at Derek; there was more to that story than he let on.

"Well, then - They had a reason," Scott stated determinedly.

"You…are…a callous…fuck…kid, you're disgusting," Harry said with a grimace, "He told you eleven people died in a fire and you say they had a reason…how would you have reacted if someone said they must have had a reason if it were your family?" it made his stomach turn just how disgusting teenagers could be.

Scott flinched at the condemnation from Harry, looking to Stiles with his puppy look as if he expected his best friend to back him up. Stiles wouldn't even look at him, quite honestly he hadn't thought of it that way until Harry said something.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in?" the nurse demanded defensively.

"We were just leaving," Derek told her with his usual broody look in place.

"She didn't know who you were, and she doesn't act like she's new otherwise she wouldn't have been quite so defensive." Harry uttered, closing his eyes in dread, "Please tell me he's not been without pack for six years."

Derek didn't reply he just looked away, shame crawling up his throat.

"You just left him there? Let him become an Omega? Not only is he pack he's family…that is not how either act." Harry was feeling quite sick, it was little wonder he preferred being in a coma than to emerge, having lost eleven members of his own pack and been abandoned by those who had survived the fire, him and his sister. "The feeling of losing his family then the snapping of the pack bonds…honestly, you would have been more merciful if you had killed him and ended his suffering." six years of being alone, touch-starved, not scent marked by a pack, bloody hell, if he ever did come out…he would be insane, he would give a whole new meaning of a feral Omega. He was so confused, how could family do that? What exactly had happened that they would willingly abandon their pack mate?

"Don't worry, he does that all the time," Stiles explained when Harry realized that Derek was gone. Scott trudged alongside Stiles, his eyes firmly planted on the ground, too lost in his own ruminating that he didn't even listen in on the conversation between Harry and Derek.

Scott might not have, but Peter Hale most certainly had and his eyes flared red briefly.

"Come on, let's get back to mine so you can get your truck and head home," Harry said, glancing in the most likely direction that Derek had taken feeling slightly apologetic.

\------------0

Later that night, Harry visited the burnt remains of the Hale house having read everything he could get his hands on - including all the police reports having magic at his disposal was extremely handy in these situations. So he wasn't surprised by the sight in front of him, just extremely solemn and sad, what had happened to that family was a tragedy, nobody deserved that to happen to them. Once he had read everything he'd called Stiles to find out where he could get Derek, he shouldn't have said anything without knowing all the details, finding out he'd been fifteen years old had made his gut tighten.

Harry stood at the porch plastic tub full of food clutched in his left hand, "May I come in? And yes I know you're there, first floor," he added just to prove that he did know where Derek was. To him it was actually the ground floor, American's did things differently and he was already used to the language difference. "I won't invade your home without permission," he gave his word, waiting patiently to see if the guy would give his permission.

Harry could honestly he was surprised when the red door swung open.

"What do you want?" Derek asked an ever present scowl on his face.

"To talk, if you're going to teenagers for help, you obviously don't have anyone else to talk to at the moment," Harry answered, handing over the large Tupperware container to the suspicious werewolf, "That is if you can let up your scowl for more than a few seconds, don't get me wrong I can understand why," he had just lost his sister, basically the only one he had left after the devastating fire had wiped out his family and caused his Uncles comatose state.

"How would you understand?" Derek scowled.

"Everyone feels like that, when something so devastating happens they feel alone, that nobody could possibly understand, but you're right, I can't fully understand what you went through, but do not delude yourself into thinking that you're the only one in the world who's had their entire family ripped from them and had something worse happen years later." Harry stated, the house hadn't been emptied, there were still furniture all over the place, burnt for sure but still there nonetheless, it was almost as if it hadn't been touched for six years. There was obviously no gas supply still coming in, it would have been shut off, probably the water supply as well. He was living in a derelict building. "Eat, looks like you could use it." it didn't take long for Harry to find the little den Derek was using to sleep in.

Derek did eat the food after making sure it was not poisoned, he realized as he ate the mostly meat based meal that A. Harry knew werewolves well, there was no traces chemicals in the food, and B. he was a great cook he hadn't tasted anything like it before in his life.

"It's my godson's favourite," Harry commented as he claimed a spot on the floor.

Derek grunted in reply, having some manners at least, as he consumed the meat - deer as a matter of fact -based stew.

"You have hunters after you, don't you?" Harry questioned gazing at Derek after the food was done.

"They're after the Alpha," Derek corrected him, "I suspect they think I will lead them to him, that I know who it is." not sure why he was revealing the information. He didn't inform Harry about Kate's vendetta or the fact she would - and had tried - to kill him.

He'd never admit it, but he just didn't want to be alone anymore. It was torture. It was perhaps why he had been so eager to get away from Harry's earlier condemnation; he was just getting a taste of what Peter had been through for six years, all encompassing silence, packless and utterly helpless. He was so desperate not to end up an Omega that he'd try and help a teenager who had gotten him arrested.

"So you elect to hide in the most obvious place they will think of?" Harry asked, brows furrowed. "If you hadn't just come to a stranger for help, I would have said you have a death wish."

"I'll find somewhere else," Derek replied, he knew he had to, that his home was no longer safe - it was indeed one of the first places the hunters would look, that Kate would look for him. He couldn't risk it, even if it was a convenient place to stay where he could hunt for the Alpha without too much trouble of being seen.

"I'm guessing it's not going to be a hotel?" summarized Harry; those places were utterly disgusting for a werewolf. Their sensitive noses hated so many scents where they slept, and couldn't feel safe.

"They'll know, they have access to all sort of databases," Derek explained grimly, his stomach full and sated. "I'm not going to make myself a walking target." they would just wait for him to emerge or return. Argent had already threatened him as it was.

"You probably won't accept it, but my home is open to you if you need it, it's warded to the nines, nothing comes and goes without me knowing it." Harry offered it wasn't as if Teddy was home anyway, and even if he was, he suspected Teddy would be extremely hyped to meet Derek, another werewolf even if they were different types of were. That is if Derek allowed himself to grieve for his loss, which Harry suspected he hadn't done yet.

"You're a druid?" Derek asked surprised, inhaling sharply, "Are you an Emissary for a pack?" it would explain how he knew so much. He couldn't smell anything on him, and if he was in regular contact with an alpha of a pack, he would smell of him even just a tad.

With magic, it was no surprise Derek couldn't smell anything on him.

"No, and no," Harry replied with a soft smile, "Stick around and you might figure it out," he said almost teasingly. "You know where I live, if you can't get past the wards, just wait, I'll lower them for you." only Teddy and Stiles had been added to the wards actually, and even then, it was only on his say so, he had a tripping ward that would let him know Stiles was near before he reached the wards, he didn't want Stiles to suddenly feel the need to return home when he came to visit after all, now did he?

Teddy had regretfully just returned to Hogwarts, he wouldn't be back for three months, during Easter in April.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't want Teddy in the story then it's easily rectified by him staying with his grandmother...he will be at school for the majority of it and YES I have both kinds of Werewolves on the go :D it's going to be fun to write...especially Derek's reaction ;) and yes I'm sorry I know Derek's probably totally out of character...and he would never accept Harry's help and Peter is a shite in the series but I think thats what makes him so fun even though at the end of the day he seems to be just a jealous man wanting what others have...honestly you'd think it was difficult to find an alpha the way Peter went on! Hadn't he learned that just because you were an alpha didn't make you indestructible? and yes this will all be put into the story at one point or another LOL hmm at what point do you reckon Derek is desperate enough that he would go to Harry? hmmm R&R please


	3. Chapter 3

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 3

Saturday January 29th

As soon as Stiles got up on Saturday morning, at eleven o'clock he made himself a pop tart and decided to make his way to Harry's. His insatiable curiosity bidding him on, he wanted to know what Harry had to tell him, especially when it had been made clear after the ride home from the hospital that he was to come alone. Oddly enough Scott hadn't said anything about it; it was as if he hadn't heard the very short conversation that he and Harry had in his car while Scott wandered to the jeep. In fact, Scott hadn't said a word since the hospital, he was sort of glad for it, Scott was his bro, but what he'd said was wrong.

Twenty minutes later, his blue jeep was parked outside Harry's home, Stiles flailing slightly as he got out before regaining his bearings. As always Harry was there to meet him at the door as if he had known he was coming well before he appeared. Now that he knew Harry was something supernatural he wouldn't be surprised if he could.

"Hey kid," Harry said his brow furrowing as he examines Stiles, "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright," Stiles admitted, there was no urge to be sarcastic around Harry, there never had been. Harry had never once gotten impatient with him when he spoke constantly, always asked him how he was and never pushed, he waited until Stiles was ready to express how he felt. He'd helped him through one of the worst times of his life. When Harry asked, he actually meant it, he wasn't asking just out of habit or mere politeness and Harry never, ever ignored him and if there was something he didn't know when Stiles asked about…he admitted it, he didn't try and bluff his way through it. He was always truthful, even if it hurt, and that was something Stiles had desperately needed. Still did in fact.

"Come on in," Harry said with a genuine smile, as he held the door open for the teen before closing the door and making his way through the hallway.

"So what is it? What do you have to tell me? Why did I have to come alone-" Stiles was immediately on a roll, wanting to know everything immediately as they both stood at the living room door.

"Calm down, take a deep breath," Harry said with an amused chuckle, "Go get yourself a drink if you want something, there's plenty of time to talk, I don't have anything urgent that needs my attention," Stiles had been here often enough he knew where the fridge was. Stiles reminded him of Hermione and her insatiable thirst for knowledge, but Stiles was actually much more intelligent than Hermione, which seemed utterly baffling in the beginning if he was honest since she always seemed so much smarter than everyone else.

Stiles wandered into the kitchen and quickly nabbed a bottle of soda Harry knew he liked. None of Teddy's favourites were there, but that was hardly surprising when he went abroad for his education, Scotland, the highlands somewhere, because that's where his parents had gone to school and he wanted to feel close to them. There were pictures of Teddy everywhere, and even a few of him and Teddy usually at the beach or the arcades that Harry took them too when they were younger. He grinned at the sight of them, those were some of the best days of his life, it helped him forget that his mum was dead or the fact his dad was drinking heavily. Highly treasured days that he wouldn't change for anything. Teddy was one of his best friends, despite that Scott and Teddy had never actually met. Teddy and he had been friends before Scott appeared, but with them at different schools, they hadn't been attached at the hip.

Stiles slid back into the warmly lit living room, blame Harry for that, Harry always called it a living room instead of sitting room. The room was modern and tastefully decorated. The wood ceiling held dozens of small lights, which weren't on at the moment, to the side was a wooden spiral staircase. The walls were painted white, or what you could see of them. On one side of the wall, where the couch faced, was an 85 inch TV which Stiles completely loved. He always got Teddy to watch at least a few movies when he was home from school. The last thing they'd watched on it was Star Wars. Along the wall were shelves, housing Teddy's favourite console, x-box and his games.

The couch was leather, black, corner couch; up to eight people maybe nine would fit on it without trouble. Then there was a single black seat which Harry was sitting on at the moment along with two pouffes. Getting comfortable he drank some soda, his fingers twitching, the urge to get up and just do something was strong.

"What happened, Stiles? Tell me everything." Harry spoke with a softness that people rarely got to see unless you were Teddy or Stiles himself.

Stiles sighed resignedly, refusing to meet Harry's eyes he began his tale, "I heard Dispatch call my dad, there was a dead body in the woods, so I made my way over to Scott's and convinced him to come look for the body with me, he'd been bitch…complaining that nothing ever happened here since he moved. We were regretting it after a while, Scott's asthma was acting up then we heard my dad, the deputies and cadaver dogs. I er…ended up running towards the search area and Scott was taking a hit from his inhaler. I tried to stay out of their line of sight but I was caught, my dad found me. I covered for Scott so he wouldn't get in trouble…"

Harry says nothing but nods that he was keeping up, waiting patiently for the teen to continue.

"Next day at school Scott told me he thought he was bitten by a wolf, showed me the bite, I told him there hadn't been wolves in California for over sixty years. He told he found the other half of the body, but I got distracted by the fact Scott managed to play a perfect game of Lacrosse, he caught all the balls, he told me he felt as though time had slowed down and he felt he had all the time in the world to catch the ball. Then went on to tell me about all his enhanced senses. I sort of joked that he might be a werewolf, I didn't believe it myself at first…"

Harry nodded his head to the side as if to concede his point, who would believe in the supernatural immediately?

"Scott told me the bite healed within twenty-four hours, and Scott woke up in a cave after going to bed the night before. He saw the creature that bit him and he ran away. I found out that it was a wolf hair found on the dead body, and that's when I started to believe it a little. I tried to tell Scott but he was distracted by Allison. It wasn't until Scott played another perfect game that I went home and looked up everything I could on werewolves, I tried to tell Scott but he refused to believe me." Stiles' hands and arms were in continuous motion as he spoke. "I tried to get him to cancel his date with Allison which was the night of the full moon. When he refused I snatched his phone off him, and he shoved me against a wall, he was ready to punch me, when he took his anger out on my chair instead, apologizing then leaving."

Harry pursed his lips; he may need to have a long discussion with this idiot because if he hurt Stiles he wouldn't be responsible for his actions. Scott would need to be made aware of his strength otherwise he would and could hurt someone. If he had punched Stiles…a single punch could be devastating. Werewolves could punch through brick walls for Merlin's sake, so yeah, it was alarming.

"Scott accused Derek of biting him, of turning him into a werewolf, of killing that girl in the woods," Stiles told Harry.

Harry's eyebrows rose, "Have you seen Derek's eyes? What colour are they?" completely forgetting that he had in fact seen them; although he was too busy trying to save his life. Just as Stiles told him, he remembered, his mind's eye bringing up Derek's visage as he tried to intimidate him.

"Blue, why? What does it mean?" Stiles asked, his eyes gleaming at the thought of learning yet more information.

"Blue and gold are the eyes of a beta, he is being honest, he did not bite Scott, and if he did all it would accomplish is a damn painful bite, only Alpha's, those with red eyes are capable of changing someone with this type of lycanthrope." Harry explained, "As for the difference in colour, it means that they have taken a life. Whether it's self defence, revenge, mercy, or cold-blooded murder, your eyes go from gold to blue, showing the mar on your soul. Given the life of a werewolf, it isn't a surprise that most do have blue eyes, with hunters constantly trying to kill them along with fights breaking out over territory packs have to fight to protect to live and of course, defending your territory from enemies…supernatural enemies."

"This kind? Wait…you mean the whole actually tuning into a wolf on the moon and becoming feral is a real thing? That it's not just you know shifting…" Stiles raised his fingers and showed his teeth to demonstrate teeth and claws that he'd seen on Scott and Derek.

"Beta shift," Harry said, lips twitching in amusement, "And yes, there are two distinct kinds of Lycanthrope. The other being bitten on the full moon by a werewolf, the wounds do not heal overnight, in fact…that type of lycanthrope is almost mythological to an extent by the lycanthrope type you've come to know." Harry informed him, "Derek might know of them, due to the fact he's a born werewolf, families like that have a lot of history on their side to keep up with."

The thought of reading history on things like that almost made Stiles light headed the thought of researching it all.

"So go on," Harry prompted wishing to get the best understanding of what was going on.

So Stiles recounted everything he could think of, whether it felt important or not. That Scott had been attacked by Hunters in the woods, that Derek had saved him and explained what Hunters actually were. That it made Scott even more mad and bitter at Derek. Then Scott finding out about Allison's father being the lead Hunter who shot him in the woods. The lacrosse game, the fact Scott dislocated Jackson's shoulder, that Derek was watching and that Scott nearly killed him again in the locker room. About Derek threatening to kill Scott if he played or if anyone found out about them.

It took everything in Harry not to react, that was twice that Scott had almost killed Stiles, he needed a damn anchor. His mind came up with a few ways that would help Stiles protect himself from out of control werewolves until he was able to use his magic to comply with his wishes. The sooner he got Stiles to understand his magic the better. Harry shook himself forcefully out of his thoughts as Stiles began to talk again.

Then he proceeded to tell Harry about Scott trying to get out of playing the game, about both of them trying to find the other half of the body, thinking that Derek was responsible for her death. Scott getting angry and confronting Derek about Allison, insisting that she knew nothing and Derek's response that he was just trying to look out for him. Then how they'd gone back and dug up the body, only to find the head of a wolf, that Stiles thinks Scott lied to him about whether they were doing this to catch Derek or not. That he suspected that Scott was doing it just to play the game.

Harry pinched his nose, damn; this kid was more headstrong and bloody stubborn than even he had been at that age. Who was he kidding? By his age any rebellious nature had been swiftly removed by the constant threat of death hanging over his head.

Stiles told Harry that he tried to get Scott to not play the game that Scott just didn't see the bigger picture - or what was at stake - that he just wanted to impress Allison. How he'd shifted out on the field, how he'd figured out that Allison was Scott's anchor, and that Derek had been wrong he didn't need to stay away from her, he needed her. How Derek had been released from custody and that was where they found out that it was Laura Hale.

"Stiles, the reason Derek is so against Scott being near that family is that they will kill him, in cold blood." Harry said seriously, "Derek is trying to save your best friends life. In the end, if you were told a vital piece of information whose side would you take? That of your dad or a lover?"

Stiles, smart, brilliant Stiles got it immediately; he'd believe his dad, his family. When Allison found out about Scott…she'd believe her family over him. Believe that he was some sort of monster…that he deserved to be hurt, her parents might just kill him anyway regardless of what Allison thought or felt. Whiskey eyes were shadowed as they stared at Harry, genuine fear and worry for his best friend prominently displayed. Having nothing he could say on that subject, he blurted out about Myers, the bus driver, how Scott dreamt it, how he feared he'd done it. How Derek told him to go to the bus and let himself remember. How they'd gone to the bus and how Scott became adamant that it was Derek who bit him and killed Myers. Adding what Scott had told him about the fight he had with Derek, about the Alpha and how they were both Beta's and how Scott thoroughly got his ass handed to him.

He winded down as he explained how Derek had appeared at his jeep. All of them were there for what had happened next so it needed no repeating. They remained silent for a while after he finished, drinking his soda from the bottle quenching his parched throat. He was so glad he had someone he could talk to about this since his Dad was definitely out of the question.

Stiles gave him a questioning look, wondering when they were going to get to what Harry had wanted to talk about.

"What I am about to tell you must remain a secret," Harry leaned forward immediately, an intense look on his face, he had to make it clear to Stiles that it was so dangerous to share this information. He was obviously not going to keep himself out of the supernatural world; it fell to him now to ensure Stiles safety.

"Keep it secret, keep it safe," Stiles mumbled unable to help himself.

"Oh, please, they announced that ring and paraded it in front of everyone, it was no wonder they were drawn to it," Harry scoffed, "So no, not like the Lord of the rings secret,"

Stiles grinned widely, utterly proud of himself, he had been the one to get both Teddy and Harry into them. It had actually been his DVD's he'd brought over for a sleepover one time.

Harry cleared his throat, "Stiles, this isn't the time for jokes, what they will do to you…you'll be begging for death before it's granted,"

Stiles flailed around, as he sobered up, swallowing thickly, "What do you mean what they'd do to me?" he wanted to feel indignant but all he felt was apprehensive and fearful, he showed neither.

Harry pursed his lips, "Do you want to know?" he eventually asked, he had to ask him regardless, this was Stiles decision, forewarned is forearmed, and now that he was immersed in the supernatural world…he would notice his spark acting up.

"Yes," Stiles answered immediately, damn right he wanted to know what the hell was going on.

"There are many types of magic users, the lowest on the totem pole if you will, the weakest, are druids," Harry explained, making sure he still had Stiles attention. "Druid means wise oak in Gaelic and often Alpha's take druids on to be Emissaries of the pack, quite often keeping their identity a secret for their safety. It goes way back to ancient Greece after King Lycaon and his sons were cursed, turned into wolves by Zeus. The druids of old had shapeshifting abilities, and they taught Lycaon and his sons how to shift back and forth. They found over the course of their lives that those they bit on the full moon were different from those who were born from their blood overtime the lycanthrope mutated making them two completely different types. They stuck the name Lycanthrope after King Lycaon, giving a name to what they had been 'infected' with. Druids these days aren't powerful, cannot shift, and are extremely…annoying. They hoard information and knowledge, believing that nobody else should gain it lest it upset the balance. They're all about balance these days, they can hoard information until their hearts content if they want, but they will never be more powerful…unless they become a Darach."

Stiles' eyes lit up in delight, he couldn't wait to read up everything. "So what's a Darach?" concentrating with a great deal of difficulty when all he wanted to really do was go online and read everything about werewolves again.

"Darach means Dark oak, it's a Druid who's gone dark side, using magic that others dare not, sacrificial magic," Harry said grimly, "Killing others and using their 'sacrifices' to empower themselves further. Darach's can become extremely powerful using this method."

Stiles imputed the names into his phone in determination to do his own research afterward.

"The next magic user would be a Mage, these are quite rare," Harry continued to explain.

"Wait, are you trying to tell me what you are?" Stiles asked eagerly.

"No, I'm trying to tell you what YOU are," Harry replied, seeing the dumbfounded look on his face.

"What…what do you mean what I am? I'm…just…human…I'm not…magic!" Stiles pointed out, grappling with his cell as it slipped through his fingers, utterly bewildered, the thought of it though made his heart soar, to think…to be able to use magic would be awesome. He knew he wasn't though; he'd never done anything remotely magical. "You think I'm a...a mage?" he added as he picked up his phone, putting it aside Harry getting his sole undivided attention.

"You're a spark, Stiles," Harry informed him, Hagrid's own words to him echoing at the back of his mind. 'You're a wizard, Harry.' The words that had changed his entire life and it would be the same for Stiles too.

"A spark?" Stiles parroted the words, shaking his head not really understanding it.

"With immense work and concentration, you will be able to wield your spark, your magic to do your bidding." Harry explained, "Now all humans have a spark, but most of the planet's population it lays dormant if you like, yours, however, can become something more. If you don't use magic then nobody will be the wiser to your potential abilities…but if you do begin using it, Stiles…you must practice long and hard and harness your abilities otherwise there will be those who wish to use you to gain them for themselves." Stiles spark wasn't dormant, it was there, just waiting to emerge and Harry knew it would be powerful.

Stiles just gaped at him…for once in his life utterly speechless.

"To begin with your spark will be weak and it will exhaust you using magic since your body will become a conduit for it. Like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger you will become the more you'll be able to endure, expanding your spark so that in a few years you'll be able to do anything you like. The training will be intense, not to forget boring, to begin with, especially if you want overnight results." Harry explained his gaze soft and fond at the look still painted over Stiles' face. "I have books in the library that will give you all the answers you need on everything we discussed tonight, only in greater detail." that immediately changed the look on Stiles face, who immediately nodded eagerly.

"I thought you'd like that," Harry said wryly, "Does your dad know?"

Stiles vehemently shook his head, "No, I don't want him involved in this!" his job was too dangerous as it was.

Harry stood up gesturing for Stiles to do the same, wandering through his home, leading Stiles towards the library, a place he hadn't been in yet, he'd only seen the books sometimes left on a shelf in his living room, his office and of course books Teddy had forgotten that were strewn around. "Alright, but think of it this way…how would you feel if something happened to your dad because you didn't tell him? There is an alpha out there biting and killing people, what if your father is one of its victims or gets in the way without an idea of how to defend himself?" Harry said solemnly, "Just think about it, if you do not wish to tell him then I'll accept that and won't bring it up again." giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Already one life had been claimed by this Alpha. He needed to find out if he had died through rejecting the bite or not.

"The books are over there," Harry showed him the comfiest part of the library, beanbags seats and a John Lewis Antonio Swivel chair that was unsurprisingly claimed by Stiles immediately which was why he'd placed the books right next to the table nearest that particular chair. "They remain here, Stiles, they are books on magic and cannot be carelessly left lying around. You can read them here anytime you wish, I don't need to tell you what will happen if you do decide to try and take one do I?" he warned.

Stiles so badly wanted to protest, yet another part of him just wanted to read the books like right now! He knew Harry meant business though with that tone so he reluctantly nodded. It wasn't as though he had anything to do today; Scott was busy with Allison and had blown him off when he suggested a gaming marathon last night over Skype, which was what they usually did during their weekends.

"There's plenty of snacks in the kitchen, just try not to spill anything on them, I'm going to be out for at least an hour and a half, I'll make you lunch when I get back," Harry informed the teenager. He was old enough to be left alone without getting into too much mischief, but he didn't really believe that he was too much like Teddy, too curious for his own good although he suspected the books would hold much of his curiosity. Any rooms that had the potential to be dangerous were locked up tight, and also magically concealed from Stiles' eyes. Something he had been doing for years now due to Teddy becoming fast friends with the boy.

"Can we make some for my dad? I'm spending some time with him tonight while he's on patrol!" Stiles questioned, he loved spending time with his dad. With his work schedule and him being at school…it wasn't something they did a lot of. They'd probably end up eating Harry's food and a takeout, but hopefully, he could get his dad to eat something moderately healthy.

"Sure," Harry agreed, he knew how much Stiles worried about his old man, Noah knew and tried to curtail his penchant for sneaking in greasy foods, he failed for the most part. It was always amusing the way Noah paled when he saw Harry and he was eating greasy foods or sugary treats, telling him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to tell Stiles, lying that it was the 'first time this week' it was more of a joke now than anything serious since it had been happening years. "I'll be back soon, see you later kid,"

He didn't receive a reply, Stiles was already immersed in the book about 'Sparks' and utterly distracted.

Harry made a quick detour to a plant nursery to get a few plants that would give Peter Hale something new to immerse himself in, nothing too strong, he had no idea what he could and couldn't smell. Judging by the wounds on his face, his healing wasn't working, Harry was quite curious really, he'd never heard of anything like it before. All he could summarize was that Peter Hale had retreated so deeply into his mind that both he and his wolf were stuck. Sort of like the Longbottoms, but Peter probably had more chance of returning to the land of the living, given the right circumstances, which probably wouldn't be met in a hospital. He'd need to speak to a few people, experts, on how to best help the werewolf, six years trapped in one's own mind…it was horrific really.

Harry then lied through his teeth to the nurse, informing her that he was here to visit Peter Hale at the behest of his nephew, Derek Hale, who didn't want his 'Uncle' to be alone and that he was unable to stick around due to yet another tragedy in the family. He really should have felt awful using and spinning everything, especially when he could just use a spell and have her letting him go by whenever he wanted, but Harry detested using magic on Muggles without good cause. The nurse had predictably been so saddened by the news, hurting for a stranger she didn't know, but they were empathic, helping people was what most of them dearly wished to do that she actively encouraged Harry to stay as long as he liked, that she was sure 'Peter' would love the company.

"Thank you," Harry said giving her a small grateful smile, as he wandered into the mostly empty room, there wasn't a single item there that indicated anyone had ever visited him. "So, I see your emotionally constipated nephew didn't bring a single thing in, huh," wandering over to the window, before placing the plants in a neat row still wet from their earlier watering in the nursery. "I decided on…well you'll probably already be able to tell, with your sense of smell," regardless as he placed the plants down he named them, more for something to do and keep talking, since he was only going to be here for an hour and a half.

Jasmine, it was soothing to the mind and body, something Peter desperately needed. Lavender, which helps to get good nights sleep, he'd used a lot of it when Teddy was young actually. Snake plant - also known as mother-in-law's tongue- which wasn't the usual thing to give to those in a coma, but it emits oxygen, stuck in the room as he was, Peter probably would appreciate anything that reminded him of the forest, or rather his wolf would. Aloe Vera, which also emits oxygen, thankfully they were all smallish plants and wouldn't require too much care, and didn't need a lot of water. Gardenia, they had beautiful scents, which was why he'd chosen this one as well. Spider plant, it cleanses the air. Valerian for its sweet scent, a summer scent that would be appreciated. English ivy and of course, last but no means least the Peace Lily, nine plants, the doctors, and nurses probably weren't going to thank him, but he hadn't been able to leave without the nursery without them.

"I hope that concentrating on the plants will help block out the majority of the smells in this hospital for you," Harry commented as he sat down, "I also probably should introduce myself, my name is Harry Potter, I'd say it's nice to meet you but…" he trailed off wryly, "If you're anything like your nephew you'd probably scowl, hopefully, one day I'll get to see for myself and not have to wonder," he teased lightly, frowning at the sight of the nurse who was lurking outside the room, never meeting his eyes, but constantly going back and forth as if checking.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Harry enquired, not the slightest bit abashed at asking, calling her out on her unsubtle display.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the nurse asked, a masked glare sent in his direction.

Harry crossed his legs and stared at her unimpressed by her attitude.

Peter couldn't have been more surprised when the stranger returned without his Nephew or wayward Beta who continuously refused him as Alpha. A smirk made its way unconsciously across his lips at how good the man was at getting what he wanted by lying or twisting the truth to suit his needs, he was very good and coming from him that was saying something indeed. He couldn't help but wonder who he was, had he came to Beacon Hills with Derek? He knew about werewolves but Peter didn't think he was one, he didn't smell like one. He smelt like something else, but he just didn't know what yet. The bigger question was why was the man here? What did he want? Why visit a 'comatose' patient? And why give him plants? He didn't smell like a hunter, no Wolfsbane or hint of Rowan to speak of. No gun, in fact, the only thing he had on him was a piece of wood, that had faint traces of wood polish, and that particular wood…was from an Elder tree? The scent of the plants was very pleasant in the air, he wasn't sure why but he felt more normal today than he had since awakening. His sense of smell was much stronger than usual, his mind wasn't so clouded and he didn't feel as if he was in agony, except the obvious burns, that he couldn't heal for some reason.

His name was Harry Potter, Peter thought before inwardly snarling when he smelt the nurse, she was a threat, to him and his wolf, he wanted to kill her, but he was too weak, too drugged up, he needed to get out of here, when he did he was going to kill her. The only time he could do that was on the full moon, he was getting stronger it would just take time. More time than he wished, if only his Beta would join it would give him more strength.

"I could ask you the same thing, but I honestly don't care to know, but I will be contacting the administrator of the hospital if I hear of your attitude continuing, here, is no place for such disgusting displays," Harry said grimly, glimpsing her thoughts, only momentarily as she met his gaze. He hadn't really seen anything, just sensed her emotions really, that go with memories, it seemed as though he'd need to speak to Noah about the possibility of murder by a nurse in this hospital. He wasn't sure if she just wanted to or if she had already done so. "Well that isn't suspicious at all," Harry murmured his eyes narrowed at the now empty hallway.

Turning back to Peter, he spoke to the werewolf again, "I don't know if you're much of a reader but I did bring a couple of books, Jules Verne's books, he's not my favourite but my godson loves his books, the stories are quite imaginative." with that Harry cracked the well worn book open, and began to read the tale of the journey to the centre of the earth.

Peter's wolf reveled in the attention that was solely for him, the new smells, the hope of a pack dangling within him…relishing in the calmness he hadn't felt since the fire, hoping Harry wouldn't leave…because he knew as soon as he did the nurse would be back, trying to keep him weak, how he hated Wolfsbane. He honestly feared what would happen the next full moon if he continued to be dosed so heavily. He was going feral, he knew that, and it terrified him.

If there was one thing Peter cherished above all else, except family, even if he had an odd way of showing it, was his mind.

Harry ran a second errand before returning home, getting himself some supplies to set Stiles up with things that will protect him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is AU and No Peter isn't fully sane I suppose we can say he's just having a good day I suppose...All will be explained soon ;) and this will not constantly follow how it went in Teen Wolf, nor will it hold the majority of the 'same discussions either' although now and again a line or two will crop up that I personally want someone to answer to like Scott in the last chapter about how anyone could have a reason to set an entire family on fire! If it were me I would have walked out and left Scott to it! It was a good thing Derek was hell-bent on revenge or I like to think he would have left...but who really knows his character? He's always a bit of a mystery even with his backstory revealed! 
> 
> I hope you're not all scoffing at Harry not realizing he's aware...I probably would do that myself but while he's powerful and extremely smart he isn't all knowing...he's not omnipotent he's just an extremely powerful being...I can't say any more without giving away things that will make everything slot into place where Harry's concerned. 
> 
> Will Derek end up as Alpha? Will Stiles and Derek still kill him? Or will Peter get the help he sorely needs? If so will Peter remain Alpha or will he lose that position to his nephew and be there for him to stop him mucking it up or will that be solely Harry's thing? I suppose both Peter and Derek could be Alpha both have different approaches but I'm sure Harry could diffuse a lot of situations which would be comical really and fun to write! R&R please


	4. Chapter 4

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 4

Monday January 31st

Harry sank onto the sofa with a relieved groan, the past few days had been challenging to say the least. Not only were his contacts not able to understand what was wrong with Peter Hale they couldn't even fathom an idea on what to do. He'd received a few suggestions by those magically inclined, and Hermione of course, a deep intensive magical scan, it would reveal everything wrong with Peter and only then could they even begin to suggest anything. To do something without knowing what was wrong was entirely too foolhardy. Which Harry had wholeheartedly agreed with.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to perform the scan that nurse Jennifer kept finding reasons to be near or actually in the room. The urge to just use magic on her was extremely strong, telling just how damn irritated he was by the slip of a woman. He had spoken to Noah as well, and he was digging into potential cases of deaths within Beacon Hills hospital when he had a moment. There was just something off about her, and he trusted his gut. Of course, reading her mind would be the quick and easy thing to do, but he'd sworn never to become like Dumbledore. Plus the drone of millions of peoples thoughts buzzing around him had nearly driven him insane before he successfully occluded his mind. Turns out he was better at Legilimency than he was at Occlumency. Who would have thought?

Noah might be under the impression he was 'MI6' or otherwise known as Secret Intelligent Services, it was close to an Unspeakable as a Muggle would ever get, and he had been one very briefly, and did still work for them on occasion on a freelance basis. It gave him more free time, the ability to pick and choose his assignments and avoid the boring Ministry halls while there was no job going. They'd jumped at the idea of 'Harry Potter' working for them even on a freelance basis, and it was no secret that there were more Unspeakables these days than there had been in decades. Due to his freelance career as an Unspeakable, he was able to get into anything Muggle in nature should he desire, without requiring any paperwork, which was very welcoming. He picked more work up when Teddy began Hogwarts since he no longer played a full-time father/godfather.

Right now though he had a case that was holding his attention, or should he say cases? He'd just finished Apparating to over a dozen stations in different states to pick up copies of the files. Sighing softly, he rubbed his eyes tiredly, he hadn't slept much in three days. It was getting that bad he'd almost fallen asleep while reading to Peter, he'd finished reading Journey to the Centre of the Earth to him and had started on Around the World in Eighty Days. He went during both visiting times, he knew what it was like to be alone, scared and abandoned, so he felt for the werewolf. Nobody deserved to be alone, he was sympathetic to what happened to Peter, bad things happened to good people.

Picking up the first manila envelope, he opened it and removed the folder within. Flipping it open, he began to read everything contained within it. Mason family, suspected Arson, nine perished in the fire, three members of the Mason family were absent on the day, the youngest family member, aged fourteen, had been in a relationship with an older woman, suspected to have been in a coercive relationship in order to find out about the family. Four of the deceased had been 'close family friends' there for only the weekend. The woman - Katie Hopea - was described as blonde haired brown eyed, even with the drawing circulating it was too average - it could have been anyone without any real identifying features - to pin down to a certain person. Plus with it being only 'suspected arson' there had been no real effort made.

Levitating the large stack of envelopes he retreated to his office where he could properly organize everything. It's where he had everything on the Hale fire. The most recent 'animal' death had made him dig for answers when Stiles had told him over the phone what had happened in the video store. He only ended up with a million more questions, and along the way, he ended up with all this, dozens of cases that were similar to the Hale fire. Harry suspected that each and every single one of them would be exactly that, caused by a single perpetrator, or rather the mastermind, behind it at any rate. This wasn't even all the cases either.

The second one was quickly opened, and he found that the 'Talbot' family and 'close friends' had to been victims of a harsh fire that was 'suspected arson' but the fault was declared accidental electrical failure. The only two survivors were very young children at the time of the fire and had been out playing, Brett Talbot and Lorilee Rohr, they had been taken in by one of the werewolves he knew, Satomi, he'd never met any of her pack. There was a file connected to the case, a suicide, of a fifteen-year-old boy, died of aconite poisoning in school, they presumed he had found out about the death of his parents and his parent's friends in the Talbot fire and well grief apparently can do strange things. The teacher who found him was Kathy Airgead, this name caused Harry to immediately think of the woman from the other case. Once again though there was absolutely nothing to be found about her, after the night it happened she disappeared, along with any photos or even videos of her. The names weren't a coincidence nor were the fact no trace could be found of either woman after such an attack.

Airgead was the name for Silver in Scottish Gaelic, Hopea was silver in Finnish if he recalled correctly. After Hogwarts and while working as an Unspeakable he had to learn languages to do his job appropriately. Katie, Kathy, similar first names, he would work it out, all it would take is time. He just hoped he figured out everything before another fire tore another pack apart.

Swiftly grabbing his mobile phone, he dialed the number for Satomi from memory, placing it to his ear he waited impatiently for an answer. Placing the folder aside, he shuffled the third one out of its envelope feeling sick to his stomach.

"Hello, Harry, how are you?" the voice of Satomi came through the electronic communication device.

"I'm good, Satomi, I hope all is well with you and your pack?" Harry said pleasantly.

"We are doing very well," Satomi answered, her tone fond, she cared deeply about every single werewolf under her care, which was a great many.

"Is it safe to talk?" Harry questioned, asking her subtly if she was in a room where she could converse freely without the ears of other werewolves overhearing.

"It is now," Satomi replied, as she made her way swiftly towards her office and closed the door. "What is wrong?" Satomi trusted Harry, with good reason, while she was a phenomenal fighter, she had been overwhelmed at one point, but Harry had saved her and ensured those who had tried to do her harm had been dealt with. She had never found out what had happened to them, Harry had merely smirked before saying 'she was safe' and that had been the end of it. Yet the start of a friendship between them, not even finding out Satomi was over hundred years old had even made Harry remotely blink in her direction or see her differently.

"Brett Talbot and Lorilee Rohr," Harry stated, he could practically feel Satomi stiffening, her eyes narrowing and going on the defensive while chanting her mantra over and over again in her mind. "Their family, their birth pack, was it hunters?"

"Yes," was the only confirmation Harry required. There was a sadness in her tone, yet resignation, they were all too used to losing people to the hunters.

"Do you have a suspect?" Harry asked tersely.

"There are many hunter families who could have committed such an atrocity," Satomi said, "The hunters continue to up in numbers as they continue to go on unchecked as they have done for centuries." she understood the need for someone to police the werewolves, they were apex predators, dangerous if they didn't keep themselves in check. Many who had died were peaceful, who she saw as good friends, who never hurt anyone unless they had no choice but to defend themselves or their territory. When she heard of the Talbot pack she'd immediately gone there and taken in the children, gave them pack, and tried the same thing with all others, she hadn't been successful with Laura and Derek, they had faded off the face of the earth after the fire.

The problem was, the hunters got away with abandoning the code, slaying indiscriminatingly, unchecked, unchallenged, killing werewolves at will. She was a peaceful woman, a Buddhist, but when it came to the hunters hurting what was hers she would do what it took. It was her duty as an Alpha after all, even if it meant giving her life to save her betas. She had taught all of them the appropriate way to deal with all things hunter related. If they were ever attacked by hunters, they found bunkers or hide-outs and hunkered down, recover, wait the humans out and never, ever bring hunters back to the rest of the pack even if it meant killing.

Harry pursed his lips, "I'm beginning to see that pattern," he informed her, gritting his teeth furiously, quite honestly he was considering opening a branch that dealt with renegade hunters, starting with the damn mastermind or people behind all these fires and go from there. He had many contacts, not all of them supernatural creatures, many were wizards and witches. Hermione would be able to draw something up without a seconds doubt or even needing to be told everything. She worked in the department for the rights of magical creatures for Merlin's sake.

"Look into the Hale fire," Satomi said, her tone soft and quiet as if she feared she could be overheard even from miles away. "Talia was one of the most revered Alpha's, werewolves all over the world would come to her for aid, the hunters knew what they were doing." any fire associated with werewolves had to be hunters, her kind couldn't be easily killed especially not by an electrical malfunction as the newspapers had reported.

"I am," Harry confessed, "It's what made me begin this investigation in the first-" the wards pinged alerting Harry to someone being at the edge of his wards.

"Harry?" Satomi questioned in concern.

"It looks like I'm about to have company, speak of the devil," Harry told her, "Call me later tonight if you want to continue this conversation." it was obvious for him to hear that Satomi cared deeply about Talia Hale, the Alpha of the deceased Hale pack. He heard her sharp inhale of breath at his words, no doubt at the fact he was in the presence of one of the surviving Hales. He would probably be grilled on where he was.

Harry ended the call, and Apparated to the front door, opening it he rounded the house to the side of the building where the trees grew thickest. There stood Derek Hale, shirtless, sweating, and broodier than ever and considering the first time was during an injury where he should have been his surliest was saying a lot about his state of mind right now.

Walking over to the edge of the wards, "Give me your hand," Harry commanded, the mistrust was obvious in Derek's gaze as he glared mulishly at Harry. "I need your blood so you can gain access to my home, I cannot return to ensure you get in each time, I do hope you understand the trust I am showing you here." something must have happened to cause Derek to seek him out, he was too stubborn, too angry at the world to accept help unless he had absolutely no choice.

He was too busy to dump everything he was doing to let Derek through the wards, and he had a feeling that it would become a regular occurrence, at least for the time being. "Use your claws to cut open a finger," Harry prompted the werewolf to continue seeing the look on his face, one that suggested Derek was wavering, obviously too exhausted to fight further. "If you can," he amended, seeing the subtle shaking of Derek's hands, there wasn't much that could affect a werewolf, not after the fact it happened, they heal too quickly for that with a few exceptions. Electricity, Wolfsbane hell even mistletoe. He'd been tortured in some form then, electricity he would say, he wasn't injured for it to have been Wolfsbane. It would take a lot of electricity to bring down a werewolf, and prevent him from shifting. Which he evidently couldn't do judging, by the way, he was glaring, balling up his fists, unable to even flash his eyes and it was obvious for all to see that he was extremely angry.

"Give me a moment," Harry murmured quietly, as he turned around and made his way back towards his house, only once he was over the threshold did he summon a clean scalpel which he disinfected to ensure there was no chance of him ending up cutting the werewolf with any residual Wolfsbane essence, he'd cut from a plant just last night actually. He had to ensure Stiles was going to be safe. He was also making some for Noah, with a little luck Stiles would wish to inform his father of what was going on. Even if he didn't want to, Harry felt he might have no choice but to inform him regardless of the teen's wishes.

Harry returned to Derek within a few moments, glad that the werewolf wasn't going to fight him on this at least, as he thrust his hand out reluctantly as it may be. He swiftly sliced his index finger, before drawing a triangle, a circle and then put a line through it, his sign, the sign of the Deathly Hallows, the Peverell sign.

The sign glowed blue like Runes did, but Harry had turned the sign into a rune by intent alone.

"Runes," Derek murmured, eyeing the blood speculatively as if faded as if it had never been there as the blue glow died down. "Are you sure you aren't a Druid?" momentarily forgetting his troubles in his curiosity.

Harry snorted, "Druid's aren't truly capable of any form of magic, not really, they can do a few rituals and such albeit if they are in an area poignantly magic in nature. Or if they are part of a pack, the stronger the pack the more 'magic' they're capable of." Druids only wished they had the kind of magic he did. "The Druids of old used to be capable of great things, these days though, I'd say they were just followers of the old way. I suspect that's why they've pulled away, to keep up appearances of their capabilities, remaining mysterious instead of being known as pathetic." Harry continued to talk as he headed back to the house with his guest. It was actually nice to see a different look on Derek's face - one that wasn't brooding or angry even if it was only temporary.

Derek felt his strength beginning to return properly, having run from Kate had drained him nearly completely. Keeping in step with Harry, listening to him speak. He felt the need to speak up afterward though, "Druids are important to packs,"

"Emissaries, you mean, not all of them are Druids, in fact I've found some of the strongest packs don't have a druid," Harry commented, as he opened the front door, gesturing for Derek to go, "I know a few who have pack mages, three that have extremely intelligent human emissaries, albeit they have werewolf families, and are in the know and have read all the resources that they could bring to bear, to make up for what they felt was their shortcoming despite being told to the contrary all their lives."

Derek gave a curt nod, he understood, some of his family had been human, and they hadn't been spared.

"I'll show you around the first floor," Harry murmured softly, aware that he didn't need to speak loud for the werewolf to hear him. By Merlin, he'd learned that quickly, especially when Teddy began uttering unsavory phrases he'd muttered under his breath from his bloody office when he was just two years old. After that, he had held his tongue when he was pissed off or ranting at someone unless he had silencing spells up.

"This is the living room," Harry opened the door to let Derek see inside, before moving on, "This is the library, this mess is courtesy of Stiles," he added with a fond shake of his head.

"How did you meet him?" Derek asked, unable to keep his silence this time, he had been thinking it on and off since Stiles had brought him to the man, days prior. The 'mess' Harry was talking about was a bundle of books at the far right side of the room, all with pieces of paper wedged in different places. How anyone could read numerous books at the same time was beyond him.

"That is not my tale to tell," Harry said sombrely, making it clear to Derek that not only wouldn't he break Stiles confidence, but that the initial meeting hadn't been a good one. Each year he took gifts into the hospital for sick kids, items he built with his own hands or made with magic, sometimes buying things but he preferred to make them. Teddy helped when he could, Harry had made sure to make Teddy realize just how lucky he was, to have health, happiness and loved one, even if they weren't Tonks and Remus. It was during one of those times he had just happened passed Stiles room when the monitors monitoring Claudia went off, and he'd immediately gone to comfort Stiles. He'd stayed there talking to him for nearly an hour until his father arrived. Then he and Teddy had bumped into Stiles and his father shopping at the weekend and that had begun the friendship between the two.

Harry began moving again, leaving the door open, "This is my office," he pointed towards the door as he kept moving, "In here," he said stopping outside the second last door on that particular level of the house. "Is the guest bedroom, it has its own ensuite, next to it is the kitchen and laundry room." with that Harry raised his hand and non-verbally summoned something for Derek to wear.

Derek rose both rather large eyebrows as he watched Harry in confusion until his eyes widened a little as the clothes made an appearance. They were still in their packaging, Harry snatched them from thin air, he hadn't seen magic used in quite a unique fashion before. He truly did know werewolves it seemed, he nor any other werewolf would relish wearing clothes from someone they didn't consider pack. Their scent lingered and it was quite distasteful for pack to smell it, not that it would be a concern for him as he was an Omega. Truly alone for the first time in his life, how he wished he could go back a few weeks, stop Laura from coming back from this godforsaken town.

"Go wash up, get some rest, I'll make you something to eat, no doubt you're starving," Harry handed over the pajamas, underwear, and socks.

"You aren't going to demand to know what happened?" Derek asked, slightly bemused. Why the hell would this guy let him stay? He could be anyone, could do anything, if he wasn't so desperate he would be calling him all the stupid names under the sun.

Harry huffed out a little in amusement, "I may have only just met you but I'm far from stupid, there's no way you would tell me. Two, it was obviously something bad, at least bad enough to get you to leave your home. Hunters would be my first and only guess, are there going to be dead bodies up at the preserve?"

"Two," Derek stared straight at Harry as he said this, silently challenging him.

"And will they be found by local authorities?" Harry questioned, he didn't even blink at the challenging look from Derek. He didn't want Noah or any of the local police department spending any more time around that damn preserve right now. Not with an Alpha going around trying to create a pack and killing people. He just didn't know how to broach the subject with Derek without the werewolf clamming up and refusing to speak. There was a possibility that he knew who it was, hell, for all he knew it may well be the Hale pack's emissary, coming back to enact revenge on his or hers pack demise, its something he would do if all he cared about was so brutally murdered. Admittedly he wouldn't wait six years to gain his revenge, his would be swift and brutal.

"Hunters always clean up after themselves," Derek admitted with a dark look, knowing that this was what Kate was probably doing right this minute, burying the two now dead hunters she'd brought with her, covering her tracks, getting ready to fight again. She wasn't going to stop until every werewolf in Beacon Hills was dead, that included Scott McCall if the idiot didn't expose them first.

"Good," Harry stated firmly, his tense shoulders relaxing marginally that the police department was safe for now. "Food will be ready in about half an hour," he added, before wandering away from the guest room and into the kitchen, the files would just have to wait a while.

Once he was in his kitchen he sighed softly, rubbing his eyes tiredly, it wasn't a physical tiredness but rather a mental one. Never had he seen so much death in the hands of a single person, even the Death Eaters as single people and Voldemort hadn't quite so successfully killed so many people that Harry suspected this woman to have participated in and outright caused. He suspected that when he went to retrieve the other files that he'd find that they were the same. Just how much death had this woman caused? How many families had been torn apart? Merlin, Voldemort would have been proud of her, albeit if he was even remotely able to feel anything for a Muggle except derision and scorn.

Grabbing three peppers, green, red and orange he cut them in half, removed the seeds with a single wave of his hand before cutting them into strips. They were all homegrown, no pesticides or anything, Teddy couldn't eat things like that. Once that was done he set them aside and put the potatoes into a pot of water and let them simmer, adding some salt. Leaving them to cook as he walked into his fridge, grabbing a package, snipping away at the string holding the package together. The meat was brought from Potter manor, the House-elves made sure it wasn't coated in anything.

Immediately and with expertise, Harry began to cut the steak crosswise, into eight pieces each and begun to season them with salt and pepper. He hadn't cooked this particular meal for months, but it still didn't cause him to pause even for a moment, so used to cooking as he was. Grasping a skillet he put it over a medium heat, adding oil from his wand, and placed the thick steak pieces onto it, letting it cook as he gathered the remaining ingredients required for this meal.

Ten minutes later he plated the steak onto aluminum foil, with his usual heating charm to keep its warmth for as long as possible. He wasn't sure how long Derek would actually be, but like all werewolves, after being injured they tended to eat a lot, even Teddy ate so much before the full moon and then a day after once he recovered enough.

Reducing the heat under the skillet to medium and adding the bell peppers, onion, garlic, a splash of water and a quarter of a teaspoon of salt; absently stirring until the vegetables were slightly soft, which he tested by eating a green one.

Grinning as he nodded absently, he added the tomato paste and cooked until the vegetables were tender. Four minutes later he stirred in the potatoes, parsley and lemon juice. Dividing the steak among the two plates and shoved on an abundance of vegetables the plates were overfilled but he was positive they'd be cleared by the end of the meal. Chopping the remainder of the lemon into two wedge slices, he put one on each plate before nodding once more in satisfaction. Exactly half an hour, he'd been quite correct after all.

He'd hated cooking, being forced to cook would cause that, but when he became a dad to a little boy, he had been so determined to get it right. To be the godfather he knew he could be so that he didn't become like Sirius. Merlin, he had moved Sirius, don't get him wrong, but he hadn't been guardian material, he would have and had burnt toast for goodness sake. If it hadn't been for Remus, Sirius probably would have starved. The cooking classes had awoken a passion he hadn't known was there for both cooking and baking.

"Food's ready," Harry commented, as he picked up both plates, and made his way towards the living room, "You can take it to the bedroom if you have no desire for company," he added, trying to make Derek feel as comfortable as possible, he had just been attacked, no doubt he was feeling vulnerable, added to being in someone else's territory it would be doubly so.

He felt very conflicted on whether or not to bring up all his suspicions, on one hand, Derek was obviously looking for the Alpha to kill him in order to avenge his sister, on the other hand, this would all bring up the biggest tragedy of his life, he had just been a child…a teenager. In fact, Derek had been at that age most other children had been who had been seduced before the fire…and it was always boys, so it couldn't have been Laura, although it would have made sense as to why she'd ran and why she hadn't built herself a pack. No, he had a feeling that it was going to be Derek and didn't that just add insult to injury and pour Wolfsbane into the wound simultaneously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did Stiles find out about Kate anyway? Did he know everything or just that she was responsible for the fire? That was never made very clear…and did anyone ever find out about what Kate had done in the show or was that just something the 'audience picked up on' by watching and never discussed? Will Derek and Harry actually talk or will Peter 'wake up' so to speak before it's all figured out due to Derek's sheer stubbornness? Will Derek still become alpha or will both Peter and Derek become Alphas overtime? R&R please
> 
> (To Those in My Yahoo Group!) I am so sorry I've been gone so long guys, that email was supposed to have sent over a week ago but it didn't send for some reason until I had my internet up and running again! I'm finished moving house and boy what a busy fortnight that was!!! :O between packing and decorating my new place I was constantly on the move! I'm so glad it's over now and I can rest! I'll update Embracing His True Self, tomorrow ;) I'm so glad to be back!


	5. Chapter 5

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 5

Tuesday 1st February

Harry wasn't sure when he'd become some sort of therapist of sorts, or rather someone to talk about or dump all the supernatural shenanigans on. Although if it had been anyone other than Stiles he probably would have had something to say about it. So after Stiles was through reading books or making a circle of mountain ash he would sit and talk (or rather complain) to Harry. Mostly about how stubborn his best friend Scott McCall was being and how he - Stiles - wasn't being given the time of day despite trying to help him. That Scott was more interested in spending time with Allison. How Scott had saved Allison from being hit by a car while his dad was hit, he chose Allison over his dad. Despite the warnings, he'd given his best friend on how dangerous the Argents were. Worse how there was another Argent in the area, Kate Argent who had shot Derek and would do the same Scott given the chance.

"Wait! What did you just say?" Harry stood abruptly, his face intense as he stared at Stiles.

Stiles was startled by Harry's abrupt shift in demeanor, slightly confused, he knew very well that Harry had heard everything he said. "Which part?" Harry had figured something out, but what?

"The last part," Harry was positively body thrumming with attention, his mind whirling a mile a minute.

"Oh, well, just that there's another Argent in town, she's dangerous, and Scott just won't listen," Stiles told him, his exasperation and fear for his best friend evident in every line of his face. "He's going to be shot if he isn't careful!" while neither he nor Scott fully trusted Derek, or rather hadn't fully trusted him due to thinking he was a murderer, Stiles trusted Harry completely. So if Harry said the Argents were dangerous, Stiles believed him. Getting Scott to listen to him though wasn't as easy and it hurt Stiles that his word could be so easily discarded for that of a relative stranger, dating Allison or not.

"And her name?" Harry asked, green eyes gleaming darkly, a vengeful flare in those usually closed of gaze.

"Kate Argent," Stiles said again, quite honestly he would have felt pity for the woman if she wasn't such a danger to his friend right about now.

"You're a fucking idiot, Harry Potter," Harry hissed at himself under his breath, he didn't even pause for a moment, swiftly turned around and headed towards his office at a very brisk pace. Normally Harry always closed the door to his office, nobody got in there, it's where he kept his case files, files that he most definitely didn't want Teddy getting his hands on - the bloody little bugger - he was always trying to find mischief, but as the son of a Marauder and raised by the son of one as well, and also the fact his dad couldn't tell him about the things he did for work made him naturally curious, Stiles was the Muggle equivalent of Teddy in near all aspects. He did know that Noah wasn't quite so able to keep his nosy son out of his work though, while he was successful with Teddy.

Harry made a beeline for the computer, which thankfully was on at the moment, and he swiftly added her name into the database three possible names came up, one was way too old, the other much too young, which left only one possibility. Clicking on the name, he snatched the drawing of the woman from the board, the magnet falling to the floor with a thud but ignored.

A picture of the woman emerged along with all the necessary details about her. Placing the drawing next to the computer a sharp burst of success shot through his gut, "Got you, you son of a bitch," Harry muttered darkly, not just her aliases now, he had her real name, which made connecting her to every single one of her crimes so much easier. He hoped.

"WOW!" Stiles exclaimed, whiskey eyes wide as he looked around the room, nosing everywhere he possibly could, knowing he probably wouldn't be in there very long.

Harry whirled around, startled at the sight of someone in his private domain, cursing himself for leaving the door open. He opened his mouth to reprimand Stiles, he knew good and well that he shouldn't be in here, he'd warned him often enough. However, he saw Derek over Stiles' shoulder, he started speaking before the werewolf could enter the bedroom, "You're the only one she could have used, the rest of your pack were married except for Peter, but Peter was a bit old for her tastes she goes after younger, Cora was much too young, ten at the time, she's never gone for the female members, so it's unlikely to have been Laura, which leaves you," Derek froze at the door of the room, stiffening completely, completely taken aback by Harry's deduction of events that had transpired six years ago…something that his sister didn't even know. "You were fifteen at the time, not the youngest she's gone after, but you were the first to survive."

For once in his life Stiles could think of nothing to say, he didn't want to say anything actually. He was just reeling at the words Harry had spoken, all the while hoping he was misinterpreting them, unfortunately, he knew all too well what people were capable of, but it was one thing seeing it in writing about strangers you've never met…or dead bodies, but to someone, he actually knew? Sort of, it made something curl up inside of him and shame to course through him. He knew what trauma did to people, it affected everyone in different ways, he had started having panic attacks after seeing his mum die. Yet he hadn't paused to give Derek a chance, and he had lost his entire family, no his pack and from what he had been reading the ties that bind a pack was much more physical he will have felt it.

Derek stood there mutely, his claws out and Harry would bet his eyes were flashing blue.

"First to survive? She's done it before and since?" Stiles muttered to himself incredulously, he didn't understand how someone could get away with it, especially so long.

Derek's head twitched minutely, such a small movement but Harry caught it, he was a seasoned warrior, of course, he did.

Perhaps he should have waited until Stiles was away before he said what he did, but he'd been biting down on his tongue for two days now, stopping himself from asking a very rude and personal question. Or rather questions really, but how the hell did you go about asking someone if they had been sexually abused at fifteen? And willing or not it had been sexual abuse, it had been a grown woman seducing naïve innocent teenagers some hadn't even earned the title 'teenager' yet.

"You're sixteen years old, you shouldn't be involved in this," Harry said staring at Stiles sombrely, this was way too dark and heavy for someone who had only turned sixteen years old a month ago to the day. "Believe me, kiddo you don't want to look back and wonder why the hell you wanted any part in this." rubbing his hand over his face a look of exhaustion and deep-rooted tiredness.

"But I know things about the case! I've seen the case files! I can help!" Stiles protested immediately, "I'll look it up myself if I have to!" he added, stubborn determination encompassing him completely, so much so he failed to realize the immense pressure that Harry was under, either that or he was just used to the look - his father supported it constantly when there were tough cases on.

Harry chuckled a little at that, but there wasn't much real amusement drawn forth, "I believe you," he revealed wryly, why was he surrounded by such stubbornly determined teenagers? He could at least keep an eye on Stiles if he was here, while if he was looking into this alone, he could end up hurt, or worse and he refused to let that happen. "Fortunately there is no much left to do, all the pieces are fitting together, you gave me the last piece."

"I did?" Stiles perked up at that, "Her name," he realized, edging further into the room, the 'evidence' took up an entire wall, the whiteboard was the size of the entire wall, he'd never seen one so big before. His eyes roamed over the pack names, those who died, who survived, who died after of monkshood/aconite poisoning apparent suicides after losing their 'families'. "You said…why is this one the first one if she did it before?" gesturing towards the 'Hale' name not quite able to say anything when he knew Derek was nearby. The knowledge that Derek had probably heard him when they first met was bad enough.

"Because nobody died in those fires," Harry sighed, sitting on the edge of his chair, noticing that Derek was watching the room but so far not approaching it, arms crossed staring broodingly at them. "She tried, mountain ash and accelerants, all failed, the fire was put out before it could do any damage, burnt a few of them but they healed, and their human members successfully broke the circle."

"The last time she was here, she found the answer to what she was looking for, the perfect accelerant that takes down everyone so quickly that they have no hope of stopping the rapid flames let alone the human members." Harry said solemnly, "She has used the same combination since, never once deviated and it's not one I've ever seen before, I've put calls in to various contacts to see if they have any success in tracking down who it belongs to." that way it was an extra hunter to pin this on and get them arrested.

"Someone here helped her," Stiles' eyes narrowed thoughtfully, his keen mind trying to figure out who it could possibly be, it was a small town, hell everyone knew who he was, and knew his bloody jeep for goodness sake.

"Those who have died seem to have ties to various arsons, it's no coincidence," Harry pointed out, "I believe someone is either gunning for hunters or is solely out for revenge for what happened to your family, your pack." here he spoke solely to Derek, perfectly respectful and very aware that this was a sensitive subject. Nobody could just get over losing their entire family in six years, especially not when it was in actual fact his pack, those ties were not just mental but physical too, it could and would damage a werewolves psyche. It would explain why Peter is still in the coma.

"My pack is gone," Derek hissed out, his fangs now elongated, peeking out of his mouth, eyes back to the normal dark color and his hands were firmly ensconced in his pockets of his leather jacket.

"I know," Harry murmured quietly, sorrow one of his most prominent emotions which Derek could more than likely feel from him. Then within a blink of an eye Derek's wolfy features receded, considering how angry he was…it shouldn't have been possible, unless, unless his anchor was anger…which shouldn't surprise him. His greatest fear was fear itself, so it wasn't anything unusual.

The tension was distracted by the ringing of Stiles' phone, which he quickly dug into his pocket for, only to scowl at the caller. Scott's House.

The urge to ignore the call was strong, so he did, he pressed 'End' and pocketed his cell.

Only for it to ring again immediately afterward.

In frustration, Stiles answers, with a terse "What?" still furious with Scott over what happened to his dad, so much so he wasn't actually curious as to why Scott was calling using the house phone instead of his cell.

"The Alpha came at me while I was at Allison's!" Scott's terrified voice spoke on the other end of the phone, both Derek and Harry able to hear him despite being farther away.

Derek was suddenly in the room, but Harry held out a hand against his chest, pressing firmly preventing Derek from snatching the phone out of Stiles' hand, giving him a look that said he'd make him pay if he hurt one single hair on Stiles' head.

"I told him to stay away from her," Derek growled low in his throat, obvious a warning.

"Right because a teenager always does what he's told?" Harry pointed out closing his eyes with a shake of his head. "What happened, Scott?" knowing the teen would be able to hear, Stiles quickly put it on speakerphone. "Did he ask anything of you?"

"We had a nice conversation about the weather! What do you think happened!" Scott snapped.

"Do not take that tone with me," Harry retorted, his voice grim and face a harsh line, "I will have no problem making sure you regretted it, someone evidently has to teach you some manners,"

Stiles pressed his lips together to stop himself chortling at the silence afterward, especially Scott who wasn't easily cowed.

Stiles didn't notice that Derek had stiffened minutely at his tone as if he was actually physically affected by it.

"No, he didn't say anything," Scott now sounded subdued.

"Did you get anything from him? An impression?" Derek barked, getting over whatever affect Harry had on him, refusing to linger on it.

"What do you mean?" even from over the phone the three could very well see the confused puppy dog look Scott was more than likely supporting.

"Remember your other senses are heightened. Communication doesn't have to be spoken. What kind of feeling did you get from him?" Derek in a rare show of patience asked.

Harry shook his head, "He won't have control over that yet, especially from what I've heard about him," he wasn't accepting his wolf which was probably screwing with his senses.

"Anger," Scott answered petulantly, a hint of indignation in his voice, he was still feeling like a failure that he couldn't control the shift, hence why he was asking Derek for help despite the fact he didn't trust the man.

"At you?" Harry queried, he wouldn't be surprised if it was, an Alpha was stronger with a pack, and Scott wasn't part of his pack. What confused him was why he hadn't taken control of the situation, forced Scott to submit as his creator and Alpha or killed him to stop an eventual out of control Omega.

"No, not me, but it was definitely anger, I could feel it, especially when he drew the spiral," Scott confessed.

"What did you just say?" Derek stared at the cell phone as if it had suddenly gained arms and legs.

"He drew this spiral in the condensation on my car," Scott said, after a stint of silence he added, "You know what this means…"

"He's gone," Stiles said, and he wasn't wrong.

Harry turned around and began to type away on his computer, still standing.

"Are you still not talking to me?" Scott said a whine in his voice after over five minutes of silence on either end. "Come on! Can you at least tell me how your dad is? Bet it's just a bruise right? Some tissue damage? You know I feel bad about it, and I even went to Derek for help!"

Stiles could literally feel himself caving at his best friends pleading, "He's fine, I'll call you later though," and with that Stiles hung up before Scott could tell him that Derek had broken his cell.

"I can feel you staring at me," Harry commented, smirking a little at the sound of Stiles jumping in surprise.

"How can't you be curious? Do you know what happened? What does the spiral mean?!" Stiles asked, annoying always worked wonders when it came to gaining information. He remembered something else suddenly, "It was under Laura, the spiral, what does it mean?"

"It's a sign," Harry continued typing away, firing off emails all the while making a map of everywhere that Kate Argent had ever been, using credit card history, banking history, rental agreements and everything he possibly could. "A sign of vendetta, of revenge to werewolves, Derek probably thinks there's a chance someone from his family survived the fire…well other than Laura and Peter." his mind did latch onto the thought that it may be Peter, but him waking up suddenly after six years out of the blue? It didn't seem likely, no if he wanted to get Peter better he'd need to use magic to do it, nothing short of a miracle would bring Peter Hale back. The snapping of the pack bonds, his alpha dying, then his niece breaking the newly formed Alpha/Beta bond no doubt it caused permanent harm being left an Omega probably hadn't helped any, in fact, it made it significantly worse.

Laura Hale had condemned her own uncle completely by severing the pack bonds.

Laura Hale had also died…

Could it be? Could Peter Hale be behind it all? It was a hell of an alibi to have for sure, and the clinical side of Harry approved, still, say he bought it, he was a lone Omega, injured, weakened, surely he couldn't get the better of a woman who had been an Alpha for six years? Who had obviously no love for her own uncle and severed the ties? When he thought about it that way it did seem ludicrous…turning to face the board, his mind trying to figure out all the clues, it could be one of the children, six years had gone by, perhaps they'd waited until they were older, stronger, what age would the youngest daughter of Talia Hale be? Sixteen nearly seventeen? There had also been Dora and Eric, Derek's cousin's, they had been twelve and thirteen at the time of the fire respectively, but he had no idea which ones had been human and which ones had been Lycans. Perhaps the thought of Derek thinking a member of his family had survived wasn't that far off.

Picking up the Hale file once more, deciding to re-read it from a different angle, to see if he could have missed anything.

Stiles remained, reading everything he could get his hands on that Harry had collected. At least he gave it a good try until he had to go home. "I have to go home, dad will be back soon," Stiles said, his tone conveying his reluctance to leave.

"Alright kid, be careful going home and text me when you get in, you hear me?" Harry focused on Stiles again, making sure the teen was taking him seriously, with an unknown Alpha running around he didn't want Stiles taking any chances, "Straight home!" he warned him.

"I will," Stiles promised, but he said nothing about going back out later.

Before long Harry had all the evidence he needed to nail Kate Argent for all the fires. The question was, did he leave it to the Muggle authorities or did he send it to the magical authorities? It was at the end of the day magical creatures she had attacked as well as normal people. She'd caused so much damage to both, but more so to the creatures.

Quite frankly she deserved Azkaban prison for all her crimes.

A frown marred his face before it drew into a grim line as he went through the entire list of her crimes.

He had made his decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Kate Argent won't be in it for long, I can't quite believe they brought her back into it, or how long they kept Gerard in it either...i get that they were the main bad guys but come on...couldn't they think of another bad guy to introduce instead of bringing back old ones? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who can only stomach the Argents so long perhaps just long enough to get revenge! I'm not sure about bringing Cora or Malia into this...and there's the fact they constantly let the bad guys live...not something I'm on board with...killing them I think will be Harry's way...what do you think? and I know I don't have Stiles in character either :O you'd think it would be easy coming from me since I love writing out sarcasm but Stiles sarcasm is quite different it's more humorous I suppose! Kate Argent Dead or Alive and suffering? R&R please


	6. Chapter 6

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 6

"I need to see President Donovan," Harry demanded, speaking to President Donovan's personal assistant, Erin Marcy, who he had known for three years now when she became the president of MACUSA's personal assistant and bodyguard. She was a small slip of a woman, but very badly underestimated by everyone but never more than once. She was just as fiery as her pixie cut red hair, what was it with women having such tempers all having red hair?

"Do you have an appointment?" Erin questioned, glancing up from her device, a small smile playing on her face, but she remained professional.

"No, but it's important," Harry informed her, "I have proof of a serial killer working all over the States, I suspect if I did more digging I'd find it surpassed the States." Kate Argent had visited France a few times after all, according to the records he had for all her flights. Erin, had top security clearance due to her duties, and it was safe to inform her, and it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to say something to actually get the ball rolling. The President of MACUSA was actually quite good at fitting Harry into his schedule when he appeared unexpected. He was much like his great many times' grandmother, a former president of MACUSA herself, Seraphina Picquery one of MACUSA's most renowned Presidents.

"Magical?" Erin's tone became curt, writing within her book hastily.

"Very much so," Harry nodded firmly, magical people would always take precedence over non-magical deaths, due to the fact the Muggles had their own police force. "The culprit is a No-Maj which makes this a little more complicated than my usual jobs."

"Take a seat, I'll call you when the President is available, water?" Erin stood, glancing at the book, there was no reply yet so she'd have to wait.

"Please," Harry agreed to the water, "Bottled though," he added as he moved towards the waiting room specifically for the Presidents appointments. The room was lavish, comfortable couches, coffee and tea machines, and some pastry platters nearby. To the other side was a water cooler, it was empty, as was the table that usually held water bottles, which explained by Erin had asked him if he'd like any.

Without thinking much, Harry wandered over to a seat that offered him the best view of the room, sitting down on the black seat, all around the room was black and gold seats or couches. It was the colors that MACUSA favored for some reason, it worked well, certainly had a much better effect than the Ministry of magic in Britain.

"Water for Mister Potter," a female House-elf informed him, dressed in a uniform, white top, and a skirt, standing at the door, water bottle already floating towards him.

"Thank you," Harry said with a genuine grin, plucking the water from the air, the magic fading away as if it had never been there. Twisting the cap off he drank deeply from the bottle before screwing it back up. A glance down let him know he'd drank almost half the bottle, then again he was extremely thirsty. The House-elf bobbed its large head before she was gone.

Another glaring difference between America and Britain, America used their House-elves productively, they were used all over the MACUSA building, the school Ilvermorny, and probably quite a few other places. They were part of their everyday lives, and for the most part, they were considered quite an important part of the magical culture and most of them were actually in essence free. They were not mistreated or regaled to the shadows, Dobby would have fitted in quite well here. In fact, he would have loved it, of that, Harry was sure. He'd cringed the first time he thanked one, so sure they were going to react like Dobby, but no, a simple bow of respect and the House-elf had left simple as that.

Boredom quickly took over him, so Harry picked up Charms weekly and Defence monthly and began to first browse through the charms one, which was very bad, but it was for teenagers, he observed, ages 11 and up, this particular weeks magazine was about the levitating charm, Hermione's mental voice coming over him when he read the writing on differentiating between how it was spelled and how it was pronounced. 'Stop you're doing it wrong. It's LeviOsa, not LeviosA,' chuckling in amusement, he closed the magazine and replaced it before digging into the Defence monthly Journal.

There was no way to know how long he'd be here, in fact, once he had waited forty-five minutes to see Donovan. Harry found himself quite immersed in the Defence journal, it was very articulated, it spoke of Wandless magic, and the capabilities it held, the Author Antony Abbott suggested that everyone was capable of it if they put their mind to it, that a wand was merely a stepping tool to greatness but people got attached to the only tool to access their magic as a child and it became a security blanket, that most couldn't throw it off to gain independence and freedom to cast any magic they liked. Antony went on to say that it wasn't easy after constantly using your wand for years, but it was doable.

In fact, there was a form to fill out on the back to take part in a trial, ages 17-40 were legible to participate. It was a twenty-week course, and a grand total of five galleons per week during the time the trial was taking place as an added incentive no doubt. With a thoughtful hum, he made a mental note to begin a subscription, he wanted to see how Abbott did with this whole thing. Personally, Harry didn't think it was possible for everyone to do it, only those more…powerfully inclined, and due to the fact the American's had gone so long in only associating with their own kind, the power levels were… just above average, while those in Britain were more powerful since they incorporated the two worlds together while admittedly keeping secret, keeping separate.

"Lord Potter, back so soon?" the voice of the president brought Harry out of the fascinating articles.

Harry looked up, the president reminded him of a lighter skinned Shacklebolt, his skin was olive, shaved head and extremely tall, he had to look up at him when they were both standing and he wasn't exactly short anymore. He was wearing black and gold clothes, he always did, different designs though, this one was definitely dresser than usual, he must have been meeting the council or would be. His lips quirked at the amused gleam in his eyes. "President Donovan, thank you for seeing me, I apologize for the late and unscheduled meeting."

"I've told you dozens of times before, call me Dentlin," he said amused, "Come with me," this meeting was probably going to last a while.

Harry swiftly stood, and both men exited the waiting room and crossed the corridor and slipped into the presidents' office, which was definitely the biggest office in the entire building with a few obvious exceptions. The Brobdingnagian monstrosity the president had for a desk housed a mountain of paperwork, a platter of refreshments and many odds and ends, he observed most of them were used as paperweights, trays for in and out messages and a dark detector and not just a cheap one - like the one Ron gave him as a teen - it was more like the one Moody aka Crouch had during his short stint as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Erin informs me that you have a serial killer on your hands?" Donovan questioned, as he rounded his desk and sat down on his ornate chair that looked more like a throne. He absently poured them both a drink, familiar with how Harry took his, floating it over to the wizard as he cradled his, giving Harry his complete attention, worried about this new possible threat.

"Is that all she said?" Harry crossed his legs, merriment playing across his face drinking from the cup, shifting the weight of his elbow as it became uncomfortable on the chair. A faint buzzing at the back of his mind let him know that Derek had returned to the house, it was getting rather tiresome, the guy was out more than he was in, but it wasn't unexpected, he was a werewolf, he would prefer being outdoors.

"Should she have elaborated?" Donovan queried, fingers absently tapping on the arm of his chair as his eyes bored into Harry's.

"Just that it's complicated, the culprit is a No-Maj," Harry explained green eyes gleaming viciously, shifting slightly, he put his cup down and removed the tiny matchbox sized square from his pocket. Laying it on his lap, waving his hand absently, and the bundle not only began to grow but the weight began to become noticeable it returned to its natural size. "I've kept a copy of everything." which was something he said after he turned everything in from each mission he participated in. He did need Donovan's permission to act on American soil after all but thankfully it was permitted easily enough. In fact, he and Donovan were on the border between acquaintances and friends.

"A No-Maj got the better of our kind?" Donovan swallowed thickly, straightening up, his gulp being the only obvious sign of his distress to the matter. "How is this possible? What is this person doing?" eyeing the folders, refraining from grabbing them and greedily reading everything he could.

"Her primary target is Lupinotuum Pectinem duo," Harry explained tersely, it was the only way he would understand, type two lycanthropes were rare by magical standards, while to Derek it was actually type one lycans that were rare to them. Neither was wrong, since both types live in their own world, barely coming across each other.

Donovan's arm slipped, eyes wide as he gaped at Harry momentarily, "Say what?"

"According to the records I dug up in the archives they are still considered magical creatures despite the fact they do not carry a wand or do our kind of magic," Harry stated, with just a hint of questioning note in his voice.

"They are, in fact, there's still a treaty in place," Donavan explained, a prideful look in his dark eyes.

"That's correct, it was created in 1925," Harry nodded, he'd seen that, wasn't sure if it was still in effect, he was pleased it was though. It was a long complicated document that he hadn't even gotten part way through, basically it said that 'Lupinotuum Pectinem duo's' would look after themselves with no interference from the magical world, they would be responsible for keeping everyone ignorant of the creatures they were and take care of any problems that arise due to feral creatures, in fact, Picquery insisted that it was their duty. No surprises there, Picquery had been President during a time of great turbulence, Harry wouldn't have minded a Minister like her during his schooling.

"May I?" Donovan gestured towards the extremely large pile of paperwork on Harry's lap.

Harry levitated the large pile over to Donovan, who swiftly guided them to his preferred place on his desk. "Dear Merlin, is this entire packs?" he muttered, eyes slightly wide, as he perused each file name, one look into the first file marked 'Hale' and the long list of deceased was written in front of him. He couldn't help but frown a little, something nagging at him, the name was familiar to him. Mouthing 'eleven' when he read how many had died in that particular fire.

"There's been a few instances where some members of a pack survived, mostly just children," Harry informed him, drinking more of his coffee, knowing it was going to be a while before Donovan was finished.

Donovan's stomach rebelled at the pictures, it rolled nauseatingly when he realized they weren't just dealing with a murderer but a sexual predator. "She's worse than a black widow,"

"She has no need to sleep with underage children, she does it solely for the thrill," Harry commented in disgust. "Each place she goes to, she always gets the blueprints of the buildings she's…targeted. She has always played a substitute teacher, it would have been easy enough to get an item of clothing to mask her scent from their locker."

"She's psychotic," Donovan uttered, beginning another folder, only to find that it was pretty much identical to the other. "How on earth did she slip under the radar of the No Maj's? Do they not have competent officers of the law?"

"Most of them are stamped as accidents with potential arson that's never followed up, I'm having trouble tracking down the investigators, they all seemed to hand in their notice a few months after the fire and move," Harry admitted, rubbing his chin and cheek, he was beginning to get stubble, he'd need to shave soon.

"Bribed?" Donovan deduced, he hadn't just become the president of MACUSA by applying for the job, he'd worked his way up from the wand permit registration desk.

"Quarter of a million dollars," Harry informed him, "There are bank statements in there as well, I thought I would have luck tracking them down that way, regretfully most of them removed the money and aren't leaving a card trail."

"That's a hell of a lot of money," Donovan frowned, "Is this Kate Argent from old money?"

"No, she's getting the money from her father, Gerard Argent, he doesn't have a job, he also doesn't get unemployment benefits, he is wealthy judging from the bank balance but where the source is coming from I have no clue. I will continue to follow the money trail when I have a moment," Harry replied, "The son Christopher Argent makes a good living, he may well be helping them out, but I don't have proof that they're in on what Kate Argent has done. Neither of them has been in the same vicinity as Kate Argent when she was breaking the law and tearing families apart."

"And you want my permission to arrest her?" Donovan questioned, his tone pensive.

"Kate Argent is a hunter, there is a massive underground hunter network, they have…sympathisers in the know that might be able to help her escape justice in a normal prison." Harry retorted quickly, eyes darkening, "I will not risk her getting free and destroying more families. I believe this goes much farther than I am seeing at the moment," and he wasn't talking about what was going on in Beacon Hills at the moment either.

"I suspected as much, your determination of keeping a copy of everything always tells me you're on the trail of something bigger." Donovan conceded. He knew Harry kept a copy, but the fact he felt the need to tell him was revealing.

"I want her to receive the death penalty," Harry admitted.

Donovan was startled to hear that, "That hasn't been done since…"

"I know, but it hasn't been outlawed, I'm sure the council will agree wholeheartedly when they see what she's done." Harry interrupted him. "Either that or the Dementors kiss back in Britain."

Donovan sighed, sitting back, he wasn't surprised by Harry's desire for justice. Especially considering those targeted were Lycans. He knew Harry was very protective of his son, Teddy who was one from birth. "I cannot sign off on it alone," he didn't have the power to do so, he needed the heads of the departments to agree.

"I know," Harry replied, he wasn't sure whether he would succeed, but he was determined that she would pay. "She's in Beacon Hills, I believe she's trying to tie up unfinished business,"

"There are Lycans in Beacon Hills?" Donovan deduced, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"There are, three at least, four if you include my son, Teddy will be returning for Easter soon enough," Harry stated, "I want this dealt with before then,"

Taking a deep breath, "Will you help me?" he added after a moments silence.

"You'll owe me," Donovan warned, glancing at the paperwork, suggesting the death penalty, this wasn't going to be an easy thing to get set up for the wizard.

"And you know I'm good for it," Harry said wryly, which contradicted his grim visage.

"Yes, yes you are," Donovan conceded, knowing without a doubt that Harry was honorable and would uphold any agreement between them. "Will there be anything else required within these files to strengthen the possibility of success?"

"There may be," Harry said thoughtfully, "It might take a bit of work but there is a victim I can talk to, I'll see if he will agree to testify, there's also a victim still in a coma after six years, I can add his data to the files."

"How long?" Donovan pressed his lips together in thought.

"Give me a few days," Harry straightened as he spoke, it may well take that long to actually get Derek in the house at the same time as him. He had no set routine, he actually spent most of the night out, he suspected that Derek was looking for the alpha that killed his sister.

"I will send Erin to you then, and I will have a meeting with the council scheduled for the third day, so have it compiled," Donovan said and it wasn't just a suggestion.

"I'll do what I can." Harry agreed, it would be easy to compile everything about Peter…but Derek was a seriously unknown factor. Hopefully getting justice for his fallen family would make Derek wish to do this, he wasn't going to manipulate the wolf into it, he'd lay out the truth and accept his answer. Hopefully what he had was enough, so whether Derek did it or not, they would grant him his wish. "Thank you,"

"No, thank you," Donovan acknowledged, "She's dangerous, she may well find out about the magical world, this woman is obviously capable of anything." and that truly worried him, no-Maj's like her were a serious threat to their world.

"And I still owe you one?" Harry teased, a light smirk on his face.

"What do you expect from a Horned Serpent?" Donovan said with a smirk of his own.

Harry laughed, "Nothing less, I assure you,"

"I will give you a call when the meeting has been set," Donovan informed him, "Now its time to depart if I'm any later, my wife and children will not be happy I missed yet another meal."

"Give them my best, may I use your Network?" with a quick gesture towards the fireplace.

"Be my guest," Donovan agreed, shrinking the files down, intending on giving them a thorough reading and making a great speech to give the best argument he could in order to convince the council. "You should come for dinner, Claire has been asking after you." the last time Harry had been to dinner it had been a business meal that Claire had turned into a family meal, he'd also been injured still.

"Name a time and a place," Harry said, as he grasped a handful of the powder in the ceramic pot near the fireplace. "I really don't want her tracking me down and forcing me to come." which she would, she was one stubborn woman.

Donovan laughed, nodding in agreement, oh, she would do just that if she put her mind to it.

"I'll be seeing you," Harry said, as he stepped in, as soon as Donovan said his own goodbye Harry threw the powder in and shouted his destination, Derek was still in, he might get lucky and be able to get him to agree quite quickly.

Unfortunately the second he lurched out of the fireplace, he found bloodstains running from the front door, upon following it, he found Derek unconscious, with gaping wounds in his chest. His first thought was why the hell wasn't he healing? Lurching forward, he began to levitate Derek into the living room, seeing as he wouldn't be able to move without getting covered in blood, he probably should have cleaned it up first, but his first task was to make sure Derek was still alive, that was far too much blood to have lost to be healthy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! not much of Teen Wolf in it but that will be a rare thing I think :D so how will Harry react to knowing what Stiles got up to and how will he react to learning Scott and Stiles blamed Derek when they knew perfectly well it wasn't him? I really hate how those two screwed Derek over, multiple times and he stays after getting revenge? he must have been nuts I would have been out of there likes and left Scott to it himself! As for Peter...how will the stage be set for Harry realizing it's him all along? What if Peter threatens Stiles? Will Peter kill Kate before the magical world can act? R&R please


	7. Chapter 7

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 7

* * *

**Thursday, February 3rd**

Harry searched Derek for any additional signs of further injury, and it was a very significant injury he'd been dealt with. The claws had gone right through, tearing out of his back. Considering how sluggishly he was healing, Harry suspected - alright more than suspected - that he had been fighting the Alpha. With that sort of injury, he didn't think that the problem had been taken care of. What did surprise him was that Derek came here with such a significant injury, despite his surly and withdrawn attitude he must find this place safe. An injured werewolf always went where they felt safest, he would be running on his basic creature instincts, his wolfish instincts right now. So his home would have been somewhere Harry would have expected him to go to, whether it was safe or not. He was glad he hadn't chosen the burnt out husk, not only was it dangerous with him being so severely injured, werewolves were pack animals, and Derek was alone, there was no worse fate for him.

The bleeding was already seeping through the crisp white bandages he'd put on him, glancing at his hands and clothes, they were saturated in now dried blood. His floors too were still playing host to large puddles of the fluid. Leaning back, Harry got to his feet, waving his hand, dispersing the blood, and within moments the laminate flooring and the cream carpet was spotless, not even a drop of the blood remained to be seen.

Derek was in front of the fireplace, on a pallet he had conjured to place him on, with the softest material he could conjure spread over it. Pallets were usually uncomfortable, but Harry didn't want to aggravate his injuries, as temporarily as they were they still hurt. Well, Derek wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Harry toed off his shoes, he kicked them beside the sofa, already moving through the living room, taking off his cloak and dress trousers and the ruined white shirt. Removing the blood before opening the door to the laundry room and shoving everything in, he closed the door jogged up to his own bedroom.

Walking across the bedroom, he slid into his ensuite bathroom, turning the taps on he lathered his hands and arms with soap from the dispenser before running his hands under the warm water. Seeing blood smears on his face, he grabbed a cloth and ran it under the water before scrubbing his cheek and forehead where he had accidentally wiped it off on earlier while tending to Derek.

Turning the taps off, he grabbed a towel and dried himself off, caught off guard by a yawn, he peered out into his bedroom to see his alarm clock to find it was past midnight, he'd spent four hours tending to Derek - admittedly a lot of it lost in thought - sighing softly, he replaced the towel too the handrail before traipsing out. Grabbing some night clothes, he put them on and made his way back downstairs, automatically glancing at Derek again, to find the bandages in worse shape than when he'd left them.

Waving his hand, the bandages were clean and sterilized, normally healers didn't do that, but Harry wasn't a healer. He was self-taught in emergency healing, basic first aid and such while out in the field while he was working. Technically you were supposed to go to a healer when you were injured at work, even if it was a simple cutting curse, but he never did. He just returned home and used potions and fixed himself up. He couldn't stand healers trying to tell him how to live, reprimanding him when he got hurt as if he did it on purpose or writing down his history for all to see and read.

Just about to sit down, he froze when he heard the sound of pecking on the window, peering around, a small smile played across his face. At the window was a Greater Sooty Owl, when Teddy was eleven he'd managed to end up with a familiar just as rare as Hedwig had been. The Greater Sooty Owl was just as elusive as snowy white Owls, as its name states it's a sooty black color, with no ear tufts. In fact, Merlin was black all over but under his wings were almost pure white in color. He was beautiful, Teddy had been ecstatic that the owl had chosen him despite the fact could sense the presence of a 'predator' in Teddy. He had chosen the name Merlin because the owl was the 'greatest of all owls' as he'd said at eleven years of age.

Standing up, Harry made his way to the window and opened it, Merlin hooted, and flew around the room until Harry rolled his eyes and conjured a bird stand, along with a bowl of water for him to drink from. He didn't get too many letters from Teddy, mostly due to the long distance Merlin was having to fly to get here from Hogwarts deep in the highlands of Scotland. Instead, Teddy usually got to Floo call him, permission from Headmistress McGonagall. It had been one of Harry's stipulations about allowing Teddy to attend Hogwarts actually, but Minerva had been amenable to the idea.

Once Merlin was situated comfortably after taking a drink of water, Harry reached out and petted him for a few moments before removing the missive from his leg. Leaving Merlin to rest, he situated himself comfortably on the sofa, using magic to close the window as he shivered at the cold chilly air, and cracked open the seal and began to read the letter.

_Hi Dad!_

_One of my classmates had an accident over Christmas, I can see us being friends now, he was kept off school for ages but he_ _'_ _s finally back! I knew the moment I smelt him what happened. He was bitten by a werewolf, but what can you expect when you go camping in the Forest of Dean during the full moon? His parents are Muggles, they don_ _'_ _t really understand what happened, even with Headmistress McGonagall explaining it to them. They_ _'_ _re not being nasty or abusive, but they are scared, Jimmy can sense it so he feels really bad about it. His dad was the reason the werewolf was scared away._

_I said I would ask if you would talk to them, that you might be able to make them understand properly. Jimmy just doesn_ _'_ _t want to go home until his parents aren_ _'_ _t afraid anymore. He_ _'_ _s really upset about it, I tried to make him feel a little better, but it didn_ _'_ _t work. The full moons are difficult for him though, he doesn_ _'_ _t have access to the potions you give me, so he has a difficult time getting over it. Nobody knows right now, Jimmy doesn_ _'_ _t want it to come out, he_ _'_ _s lucky, I didn_ _'_ _t have that opportunity. People will put the pieces together quite quickly, especially the smarter students, just like Aunt Hermione when she found out about Papa when he taught at Hogwarts._

_Can you also send some of the potions for him, please?_

_Headmistress McGonagall said we can_ _'_ _t be in the same room, she thinks with him being a new_ _'_ _wolf that he might want to fight me. I told her that wouldn_ _'_ _t happen, that Jimmy would be calmer and happier with another wolf for company, but she refused to listen to me. Maybe she would listen to you._

_I miss you lots and can_ _'_ _t wait to come home._

_Teddy_

Harry stared unseeingly at the letter with a frown, it was written three days ago, there would be a full moon in a few days, the seventh, so four days. Sighing softly, he rubbed his temples, with them being Muggles it would be difficult for them to understand the changes to their son. They were scared, likely for Jimmy but the boy wouldn't be able to distinguish the difference between the fear for him and fear of him. That would come with experience and age, Teddy would be a great help for him, not only in embracing the wolf within but helping him understand his new desires and instincts.

Minerva really should have known better, regretfully despite the fact she wasn't prejudiced she also didn't take care to read about the needs and instincts of a werewolf. She had two werewolves - personally had one under her direct care as Head of Gryffindor back when Remus was there - under her care and she couldn't be bothered to pick up a book and genuinely find out? Instead of arguing with Teddy who had been a werewolf his entire life? Someone who would know better than her.

Scowling in annoyance, making a mental note to Floo Minerva and give her a piece of his mind. He wished he could say that it wasn't like her to be so closed mind and stubborn, but unfortunately, that was Minerva all over. She'd been the same way when he was a kid, the whole thing with the stone in his first year a fine example of that.

Putting the letter on the table, nudging a book on top of it so it didn't end up taking off if Merlin flew around or if he forgot the letter and had to let the owl out of the window. Standing up he soundlessly tiptoed towards Derek, bending down to check the wounds, relieved to see the bleeding had stopped but the wounds were still quite bad. He paused when a growl reverberated through Derek, after a few moments when nothing else happened, he pressed the tape back down. Standing up, he opened the cupboard door and grabbed a pillow and a throw, he usually stayed down here during the full moons with Teddy, so it didn't feel odd, what was odd was not having Teddy's wolf form following him everywhere. Dumping them on the sofa, he wandered over turning off the lights, and blindly made his way back to the sofa and made himself comfortable, suspecting a sleepless night was in store.

It was only six o'clock back in Britain, Minerva would still be catching up on paperwork in the Headmistress' office. The thought of going to his office and speaking to her about everything was tempting, yet he honestly didn't want to deal with it tonight. He was exhausted, between dealing with the cases, visiting Peter, creating things for Stiles protection from this Alpha and Scott McCall he hadn't been sleeping and it was beginning to catch up with him. So despite his mind racing unrelentingly his body was beyond exhausted.

That exhaustion caught up with him pretty quickly, and soon his mind quietened as sleep claimed him.

Regretfully not long.

Three and half hours later, Harry was startled awake by quiet growling, and the sound of his carpet being ripped to shreds presumably by claws. He was halfway up off the sofa before he even began to realize where he was, instincts he never felt the need to get rid of after the war. Especially with his chosen career path, being vigilant was a good thing. He was at the wall flicking the light switch on moving back over to Derek a little clumsily.

"Easy, calm down, you're safe, Derek, you're in my home, it's four o'clock in the morning," Harry stated, knowing what kinds of questions went through your head when you woke up in pain. "I suspect you were attacked by the Alpha, your wounds are taking quite a while to heal."

Derek's eyes flashed blue from under his lids when he felt himself calming down when Harry told him to. It wasn't the first time he had responded to Harry's voice either. It confused the hell out of him, Harry wasn't a werewolf, wasn't his Alpha, he shouldn't have that sort of influence over him. It made him extremely wary and on edge.

"I have something that I can give you to help with the pain," Harry added, "It's a potion, it should help you until your wounds heal, or I can give you a salve that will heal you completely?"

Derek's eyes shot open, the blue hue still fading, suspicion prominent on his features.

Harry sent him a dry look, "Think I'm stupid enough touch an injured and unconscious werewolf overly much? I do value my life you know. It's not like you will know it's someone safe, I am not your pack, only pack members could get away with such actions."

Derek felt himself relax when there was no change in Harry's heartbeat, he was telling the truth. In fact, Harry hadn't told a lie at all in the short time he'd known the other guy. In his experience, most people lied nearly every day, from innocuous little things to flat out nonsense.

"So, will you allow me to heal you?" Harry questioned, stifling a yawn, green eyes earnestly waiting for a reply.

Derek grimaced and tentatively touched his bare chest, almost as if he was just registering the level of pain he was in. Giving Harry a curt nod of agreement, if there was something to heal him quicker he would take it. Otherwise, he would be out of the game for at least five days. He'd never been so severely wounded by an Alpha before, but he remembered the lessons he learned as a teenager, seen how long his uncle had taken to heal after he was injured after being attacked by a lone Alpha that was more feral/omega than anything else.

Harry swiftly stood and returned to the cupboard where he'd taken the cover and pillow earlier, and nabbed his Dragon-hide potions kit. This was just an emergency supply, he had plenty down in the basement, which had been separated into three different rooms, one housed plants that required constant dark conditions, the second housed all his herbs and potions, more of a large storage really, and the third was his potions lab.

"Stay still," Harry commanded, as he returned to Derek's side, he had sat up, or tried to, more like he was now doubled over in pain. "This will probably taste completely disgusting to you, it does to me, but it will help the pain," Harry opened the kit, the potions was visible through the clear plastic covering keeping them encased in their spots. Finding the violet coloured potion, he plucked it out and passed it over to Derek after opening the cork, a subtle smirk spreading across his face at the look on Derek's face as he caught a whiff of it.

The salve was in the third compartment, it was a yellowish/orange colour, and Derek eyed it like it would poison him. Harry chuckled, "You should see the colour and consistency of our burn paste, it's not very pleasant."

Derek frowned, the stuff the guy was about to put on his injures looked like piss, smelt bloody terrible too. Yet the 'potion' as he had called it, had eased his pain completely allowing him to straighten up. He stiffened completely and surprisingly not at the touch, or the fact that a stranger was basically in his blind spot, he could feel the foreign substance actually beginning to heal him, coaxing his own Beta spark to heal with it. It was the oddest sensation in his life, and this was coming from someone who was used to healing right away. While it went quick to heal his skin, he could feel it slowing down as it healed his internal damage.

The fire flaring to life brought an abrupt stillness. "Teddy?" he questioned in surprise, "Is everything alright?" pressing his hand to Derek's shoulder keeping him still.

"Shit, I didn't think you'd have company!" Teddy blurted eyes wide even in the fire.

Derek meanwhile gaped at the face in the fireplace, his claws lengthening and stabbing him in the leg, and sure enough, he was awake. What kind of magic was this? Was the person on the other end truly in the fire? But no, that was impossible even for them for Moons sake.

"It's fine, he's well aware of the supernatural," Harry said wryly, and this was why he rarely brought people home, unless of course, they were magical themselves. "What makes you call me at…nine o'clock at night? Usually it's three hours earlier, after dinner."

Nine o'clock was he mad? Glancing outside, the moon was high in the sky and nearly full. He could say for damn certainty that it wasn't just nine o'clock. He'd been at the school around that time, before all hell broke loose, he wasn't sure why the hell he'd stayed for their stupid plan.

"Have you received my letter yet?" Teddy asked, his tone boarding on desperate.

"Yes, I got it a few hours ago, how is Jimmy?" Harry asked, getting back to his task at hand, removing the taped bandage from Derek's front, scooping up some of the salve and began to spread it across the wound.

"He's afraid, will you please talk to Headmistress McGonagall, Dad? Please, he was sick up his dinner earlier, and that's with four days before the full moon." Teddy begged, "He shouldn't be scared of the moon, I've tried talking to him but he's just not in the right frame of mind to listen."

"Of being alone?" Harry queried, cocking his head to the side, it sounded as though Jimmy had already formed pack bonds with his parents and Teddy if the prospect of being alone was making him react so severely. Although the term 'pack bonds' between the different kinds of werewolves was different but not too drastically different. Teddy's head nodded affirmative, "That's not good, he'll hurt himself trying to get to you all night."

"Wait, you think he's bonded with me already?" Teddy questioned, not really sounding surprised by his Dad's statement.

"I believe so, more strongly than his parents," Harry deduced, since they were Muggles there was no ability to reciprocate the bond, whereas with Teddy it was one hundred percent possible to form pack bonds. "I'll speak to McGonagall, but Teddy, do not get yours or Jimmy's hopes up," warning Teddy that he might not be able to get through to her.

"Then we're coming home," Teddy stated firmly, he had a free pass to return home during the full moons if he wished. His wolf had latched onto his dad as his alpha, for the lack of any other werewolf around, and even now he felt the urge to be with his dad during the full moon.

"No," Harry retorted immediately. Using the used bandages to wipe the salve off his fingers, making a mental note to wash his hands lest he get it anywhere.

After a few moments of silence, Teddy spoke, his voice low, "You've never said no before,"

Harry inhaled sharply, able to tell he had hurt Teddy, bloody hell, that wasn't his intention at all, "There is a tense situation here, Teddy, I would prefer that you are as far away from it as possible, there are hunters here and an out of control Alpha werewolf."

"Alpha werewolf as in…an  _Alpha_  werewolf?" Teddy spoke, his voice high pitched in excitement. He knew about the different kinds of course, his dad had encountered them before, he's also spoke to Satomi when he'd been there, but he'd never met one before but the thought of meeting a different kind of werewolf was exciting to say the least. He hadn't been able to get his dad to say what happened on his mission though. "We wouldn't get out of the property boundaries! We never do! They won't be able to get in, come on dad, please!" Teddy begged, his voice whining toward the end. "We miss you," the 'we' of course, was Teddy referring to both himself and his wolf those unaware of his condition would remain ignorant about it.

Harry grunted, knowing he was being deliberately manipulated, that Teddy just wanted to see what was going on for himself. Unfortunately he was at an age where he could actually leave Hogwarts and not return if he wanted to. He did have a point though, the Muggle hunters wouldn't be able to get through, nor would the werewolf, only Derek and Stiles was able to get into his property unannounced, and if there was even a small measure that Teddy needed him then he would have to allow it. "Fine, but you get permission for Jimmy to come or he stays at Hogwarts, is that understood?" Harry stated sternly.

It was clear that Teddy wanted to protest, but in the end he just nodded resignedly, knowing his dad well enough to know that he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of that one. "Deal!" he said, brightening up, coming to the conclusion that Jimmy's parents would agree.

"Alright kiddo, go on, it's four o'clock in the morning here I need some sleep," Harry said, making a motion with his head.

"Who are you? What are you?" this time his tone wasn't demanding just utterly confused.

Harry chuckled, "I'm a wizard, I'm not sure if you're familiar with us, we keep ourselves hidden, we have our own communities and government. You could compare a wizard to a Mage all the way up to an experienced spark in your own terms for those able to wield magic. Although you should be familiar with us, Dexter Peter Hale, he sighed a treaty with the magical president, I have a copy of it actually."

"My family's library it…its gone," Derek admitted, a faraway look in his eyes, and at fifteen he hadn't been interested in reading thought musty books belonging to members of his family or books they'd collected over the years. His mom had encouraged him to do well in school, and his dad would teach him how to fight, their recent history, and how to be a good Beta while his mom taught Laura the ropes of being Alpha. He'd been more interested in passing school, girls and of course, basketball.  _Girls_ , how he bloody hated his younger self for being so damn guidable and foolish.

"They didn't have a vault?" Harry pointed out, seeing the immediate look of caution he rolled his eyes, "I'm not asking where it is, bloody hell, just wondering if they had one, the more important books, missives and family things are usually kept in one. Judging by your response you didn't know about the existence of wizards?"

"I didn't get a chance to learn very much before the fire," Derek said, a vulnerable note in his voice.

"Yeah, I get that," Harry said sombrely. "My people have the evidence I've gathered about Argent, I'm pressing for the death penalty, I'm going to add Peter to the files, the meeting is in a few days, having a witness statement would truly be the final nail in her coffin, leave no doubt of her guilt."

Derek stared as if he hadn't heard Harry speaking.

"As soon as I get the go ahead, she will be arrested and put in prison for about two or three days then those who wish to see her put down is able to do so." Harry said, with viciousness that had even Derek half way to baring his neck before he regained control of himself.

Sudden sounding of a tune caused Harry to stand, "That's the tune for the Sherriff department here," summoning his phone to him, he snatched it and opened the message, arching an eyebrow, "I think…it's time that you told me what happened tonight."

Derek just stared at him in confusion, his brows furrowed not following him at all.

"Congratulations you're on the most wanted list, for four murders, the janitor in the school and the three the Alpha killed." Harry stated calmly, that list obviously did not include Laura Hale. Apparently the county had control over the Hale land, that wouldn't do, the land had been the Hales for centuries, something else he would have to do tomorrow, the list was becoming endless. "You let yourself be seen?"

Derek's eyes flashed blue and he growled, speaking through fanged lips, "Stiles and McCall had this idea of summoning the Alpha to the school, I thought it was Alan Deaton, Scott was determined to believe it wasn't, the last thing I remember is seeing their faces before his claws were through my chest."

Harry's eyes widened, why the hell would he just say something now?! Swiftly calling Stiles, he put the phone to his ear heart pounding away like a drum, waiting anxiously for an answer.

"Harry?" Stiles murmured, "It's four o'clock in the morning!" he exclaimed, the sound of his laptop being put down gave away that he had fallen asleep at his desk again.

Harry let out a breath of relief, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, the Alpha isn't though, I lost the knife," Stiles explained.

Derek twitched at that, standing up looking as if he wanted nothing more than to run to Stiles' room and demand answers from the teen.

"That's fine, it will find its way back to you, so keep a look out," Harry said wryly, very glad he had managed to create them in time. "Where exactly did you get him?"

"His shoulder," Stiles murmured springs squeaked as he finally rolled into his bed.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Harry said, "Get some sleep,"

"Will do, night Harry," Stiles was half asleep saying that.

"The Alpha was stuck with a knife coated in Wolfsbane made with a handle of mountain ash, if he's as alone as we think, then he's definitely injured, Stiles got his shoulder, now it will take days for a wound coated in my Wolfsbane to heal, even for an Alpha, he will be injured even in human form. If he's trying to blend in, in plain sight, then we may just find him albeit if he can get the knife out." Harry said lips twitching in pride that Stiles had successfully evaded the Alpha werewolf and cursing himself for not knowing. It was time he had something made to monitor Stiles, so he would know if anything happened.

Derek flinched at the thought of such an item, all the while impressed and awed with the ingenuity behind it. Even the hunters hadn't made something like that, he rather hoped they didn't either. He definitely didn't want to make an enemy of this wizard, maybe just maybe he would be able to get this Alpha and survive to tell the tale. "Should have used mistletoe, nothing can save you from it." not realizing he had spoken out loud and then wanting to hit himself for doing it.

"I could have, but I do not want Stiles to be a murderer, defending himself is one thing…no, if he wants one then I'll make him one as long as he understands the ramifications of using it." Harry nodded, he already knew everything there was to know about the weaknesses of both Lycan groups.

"He knows about the supernatural now, he will have to kill to survive," Derek stated seriously.

Harry closed his eyes, "You have no idea, this goes further than you can possibly imagine." he wasn't telling Derek about Stiles being a spark, no this was Stiles secret, he would tell those he wished and he would let him decide. Plus he never wanted Stiles used or his magical gift, he knew how that felt and never wanted it for Stiles.

Derek flicked him a curious look, pondering on those words and the truth in that beating heart.

"You and I have a few places to be tomorrow, and no it has nothing to do with being a witness, that choice is entirely up to you, I won't bring it up again. You have two days to come to a decision, after that it will be out of my hands." Harry explained, "So please be here when I wake up, the kitchen is yours to use, you're probably starving,"

Derek nodded, confirming that he would be here, it was the least he could do for Harry since he was literally keeping a wanted fugitive under his roof without a word of complaint and as always making him feel welcome, something he hadn't felt for a long, long time when it came to people due to his inability to talk much. There had only been Laura, he'd kept his distance from everyone else, hell he can't really say he'd been close to Laura since he hadn't told her a damn thing about what really happened to their family. He just couldn't face telling her for her to leave him an Omega. He felt for sure that's exactly what she would have done. "Thank you," Harry actually already felt like pack, he was keeping him safe, helping him, feeding him, his wolf was quite taken but he wasn't quite so easily placated…but astonishingly enough he was coming around.

"You're welcome, eat, shower, get some sleep, it's going to be a long day tomorrow," Harry commented before he disappeared from the living room, his footsteps echoing up the stairs and into his bedroom.

Oh, Derek had no idea how long it was going to be.

Although in the end…it would cement Harry in a position as someone Derek would  _always_  trust.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we go! Will they have Peter sussed out before the next full moon or will it take a while longer for the pieces to click into place? Do you want Deaton in this since I do have an idea on how his part can play out and let me tell you it's not pretty :D its a shame really since the show doesn't portray Deaton as a bad guy although really if you do nothing when you can do something doesn't that make you just like the bad guy? R&R please and Scott gets a royal bashing in the next chapter by the way so be ready for it! :D if you like him click away now!


	8. Chapter 8

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 8

"You may want to try removing the scowl from your face before we go in there," Harry commented without glancing at Derek to confirm he was in fact scowling, it seemed to be Derek's only programmed expression. Turning the indicator on as he turned, making his way into a parking spot - Parking lot - in the police station. "Considering they took the word of one sixteen-year-old kid and put you on the most wanted wall, they must already think badly of you." disapproval leaked through Harry's voice, showing he was unhappy with the police force for their preconceived notions. You would think they'd know better than to judge anyone on appearance. It was more often than not deceiving, to say the least.

"Which is why this is a bad idea," Derek told him, glancing out the window looking ready to bolt.

"Trust me, you'll walk out of there with an apology," Harry said icily, staring at the building with a dark look on his face. Derek didn't have anyone to help him, and if he was entirely honest, it was as if Derek was perpetually stuck at the age where his life came crashing down around him. Fifteen, he reminded himself mentally, he'd been just fifteen years old and had a lot of guilt in him over something that wasn't his fault. He obviously hadn't received the due care he should have got after losing his family. Hell, he didn't think Derek had even spoken about what happened, if he could get Derek to open up, it might help the guy in the long run. He hoped he could help Derek stop running, both from the hunters and from his past and start living again.

It's something he would hope someone would do for Teddy if anything ever happened to him.

"Trust you?" Derek scoffed, his own eyes darkening, he didn't trust anyone, at least he tried not to. "I don't trust anyone…" he said darkly, "Not anymore." it had been a lesson harshly learned.

"I get that," Harry said pensively, "There was a time in my life when I felt the same way, didn't want to trust anyone or anything again."

"What changed?" Derek asked, genuinely curious.

"I got lonely," Harry admitted, "I spent the majority of my childhood alone, secluded, I thought I could do it again." he chuckled, but there was no hint of amusement to be had. "I was wrong, I missed friendship, people to talk to, Teddy was just a baby and not a stimulating conversationalist. Don't get me wrong I wasn't altogether trusting as I used to be, but not everyone is bad even if it seems as though you're surrounded by people who would stab you in the back. There comes a point where you have to make a decision." turning off the engine, he finally turned to face Derek.

"You either let them win, or you grab your life by the balls and make something of it." Harry stated sharply, "Letting go, Derek, isn't about having the courage to release the past, it is about having the wisdom to embrace the present. Sometimes you have to make peace with your past to stop your future being one constant uphill battle."

Derek wondered if Harry had been as broken as him by his past. He knew he was broken, had been since that night. He felt constantly numb unless he was angry. He didn't trust anyone, although he would admit Harry was the closest he'd come to trusting another person in six years.

"One of the happiest moments in my life is when I found the courage to let go of what I couldn't change." Harry added, "You can leave if you wish, but I do hope you find your own courage, you can't change what's happened but you can change their opinions of you." gesturing towards the police station.

Derek's scowl deepened even further if that was possible.

Harry got out of the now cooling car, closing the door and began walking towards the station, allowing Derek to make his own mind up. Harry wished he could say he couldn't force Derek to come, but well…he did have the ability to make people do whatever they wanted. It was called the Imperius curse, and he could legally use it, but he'd never take someone's free will away unless they were a danger to themselves or others.

The sound of the car door closing and a presence at his back made him grin, "I'm proud of you," he murmured quietly if he had looked over he would have seen Derek's ears go red in embarrassment and even if he'd never admit it, happiness.

It had been a long time since Derek had any sort of guidance in his life that wasn't orders from his sister, his Alpha.

The second the deputies realized who was in their station their guns were out of their holster and pointed at Derek and Harry immediately.

"Put the guns away now!" Harry snapped, holding up his badge, "We're here to see Sheriff Stilinski, get him here now."

The deputies glanced at each other before they reluctantly re-holstered their weapons, while one of them called the Sheriff to tell him what was happening. Harry and Derek of course, heard everything, they both remained standing, Derek with his hands fisted in his leather jacket, hunched over as if he could make himself smaller and Harry standing proud and tall, giving the deputies a contemptuous look whenever they glanced his way.

"Harry?" the Sheriff said, blinking at the sight of them, he'd thought maybe it was an FBI officer who was coming to take over his case or something, not Harry. He could clearly see Harry was here in an official capacity, knowing his job though, made him very curious. "Shall we take this to my office?" it obviously had something to do with last night.

"I think that might be best," Harry retorted sharply, but he wasn't as biting as usual, he knew Noah was a fair man.

The Sheriff glanced at Derek, seeing his un-cuffed state but refrained from commenting until he knew what was going on exactly. He ventured back into his office, leaving his door open for Harry and Derek to come through. Once they were in, he closed the door behind him and sat behind his very messy desk. "What can I do for you, Special Agent Potter?"

Harry's lips drew into a subtle smirk, "I want to know all the evidence you have on Derek Hale being the murderer of those four people he's being accused off murdering. Believe me, Sheriff if you've put him on the most wanted wall without due cause, I will see to it that you are suspended at the very least."

The Sheriff flinched at the threat, truly believing that Harry had the ability to do just that - and he did as a matter of fact - and he didn't doubt Harry's word. Standing up, arms on his hips "I have witnesses, he tried to kill my son and his friends!" the Sheriff said defensively and with great protectiveness.

Derek inwardly flinched at the words, while his face remained stoic, the human truly believed what he was saying.

Surprise flashed over Harry's features, "When?" already knowing, but he couldn't inform Noah of that fact.

"Last night, between the hours of seven and ten," the Sheriff revealed stiffly.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, he's been in my protective custody for the past week," Harry retorted.

Noah slumped onto the chair, shocked into silence.

Harry waited him out. Knowing Noah would kick back into gear soon enough, that his son lying to him had swept the rug from under him.

"Protective custody?" the Sheriff queried cautiously, his eyes narrowed in suspicion that was beginning to take root.

"The fire wasn't an accident, Sheriff," Harry replied, "It was Arson, eleven people were murdered, that is only one family, one case. When Laura realized what was happening she returned here to find out the truth and she was murdered. The murderer made it look as though an animal had killed her to throw you off. The murderer is also in the process of killing off her accomplices due to the fact the suspect fears they will reveal the murderers' identity for a lenient sentence. There's already been an attempt on Derek's life." regretfully he could not reveal the supernatural world to a normal human, although considering Stiles was a spark, technically Noah was part of it, which would make it easier if he was ever told. Right now he had to tell Noah an acceptable version of events.

Derek heard Harry's heart blip on the lie, it was a hell of a lie, one that would be near impossible to refute. He was good.

The Sheriff swallowed thickly, "How many cases are we talking here?" he was obviously able to talk about it, perhaps not specifics but enough to make them realize that Derek Hale was innocent. What with it interfering with quite an investigation apparently.

"I'm not here to discuss my cases, Sheriff, who informed you that Derek Hale was there last night?" Harry demanded, again already suspecting the answer but wanting to get to the bottom of it. "Lying to a Federal officer is a federal offense,"

Noah went pasty white at the news, "You intend to press charges?" in a few short seconds he'd gone from being annoyed and exasperated by his son and his sons best friend to utterly terrified for them. This was so much bigger than hanging around his crime scenes and listening in on his calls, perhaps he should have been tougher on his son…but what could he do now?

Even Derek looked surprised, glancing sideways at Harry wondering what his game plan was. Having seen Harry and Stiles interact, almost like father and son he knew there was no way Harry would press charges against Stiles. However, the Sheriff looked like he was about to pass out, obviously, he believed Harry would.

Harry didn't answer, instead, he pulled out his phone, and called Stiles.

"Harry! I'll be there in half an hour, school is closed today," Stiles sounded strained.

"No, you'll get to your fathers' office at the station, and if you know what's good for you, you'll bring Scott too," Harry informed Stiles coolly.

"Is dad alright?!" Stiles immediately panicked.

"He's here and he's fine," Harry's tone softened, rolling his eyes upwards, Merlin help him, he couldn't even remain angry at Stiles any more than he could at Teddy. "Just move your ass," he added absently, before hanging up.

"Should I contact Mrs. McCall?" Noah asked, having relaxed upon seeing the conversation between Harry and his son, he was angry but not angry enough to press charges, that much was clear, he was a Sheriff he knew how to read people.

Harry sighed, "It certainly would put the fear of God in the little shit," he told them, pocketing his phone absently.

Derek choked back a laugh at the statement.

Even Noah's lips twitched in amusement, inclining his head in agreement, Melissa was the only one Scott would really listen to. He just didn't understand why they would lie, it wasn't like them, not with things like this! His son had never lied so…hazardously before. Sarcasm is one thing, avoiding the truth is another…but to outright lie and get someone completely innocent into trouble? What the hell did the boys have against Derek Hale?

"Coffee?" Noah asked, knowing it would be at least twenty minutes before his son got here, maybe longer if he had to stop for Scott.

"If you send someone to Starbucks, yes," Harry said agreeably, loosening his shirt a little, he couldn't wait to get back into his normal clothes, but people tended to take you more serious in uniform, although he didn't have a suit jacket on or a tie.

The Sheriff nodded in complete agreement, standing up he left the room calling out for 'Holt' and told him to go out and get coffee and donuts but if his son was in, leave at least two for him in the break room. Reminding him he would be extremely unhappy if his son found out, or if they were eaten, after that the rest of the deputies added their own list for the newbie to handle. He stayed to talk to his deputies for a few minutes, obviously trying to pass the time or avoid the heavy silence that was now permeating the air.

"I thought your people remained a secret?" Derek spoke clearly confused, his voice a rumbling quiet sound that Harry only heard due to the silence in the room.

"We do, but those in the highest positions know about us, the royal family, the British Prime Minister, the President, they understand the need for secrecy, the family of those magical also know but yes, we keep it as quiet as possible. There's always a fear here that the Salem Witch trials will begin again. It's something that's plagued this country in the past, there have always been hunters in some capacity hunting down anything remotely supernatural." Harry confided much to Derek's surprise. "The information will be in the system, the entire world will know what she did, but they will never know what happened to her if anyone tries on the Argents behalf they will not have the 'security clearance' in order to see." giving Derek a knowing look.

Derek clammed right back up, and Harry wasn't surprised to see the Sheriff return and sit down, scratching the back of his neck absently, but you could see that he wasn't all there. No doubt he was trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with his son, Harry wanted to know as well, he'd like to think Teddy would never do such a thing. To throw someone under the bus in such a manner was just cowardice.

Harry was going to get to the bottom of this.

"That's Stiles truck now," Noah said in relief, he knew the distinctive color - that passed the window to his office - and rumble of the failing engine well.

"Derek I want you out of sight for a moment please," Harry commanded, sounding every bit the senior special agent he was meant to be. Gesturing towards the cupboard, which he presumed held stationary and things used day to day in the station.

Derek was already starting to stand before he consciously realized it, the urge to scowl and sit back down was strong. Yet he honestly didn't want to give Harry away, he was already risking enough as it was without him outright defying him. They were risking the exposure of his world whatever it was. He'd had it drummed into him since birth never to expose the supernatural, never expose what he was, and more importantly to listen to his alpha. It was an automatic response now. Derek slid into the cupboard feeling like an utter idiot. Could there be such a thing as a human alpha? He couldn't deny the urges he felt to submit to Harry or do as he was asked. Beta's responded viscerally to Alpha's it was hardwired into their very being. Usually, though the strongest was definitely their own Alpha, the one that bit them or their chosen one. Harry was neither, yet the response within him was exceedingly strong.

"Dad! Harry!" Derek heard Stiles say, sounding as though he was standing at the door to his dad's office, the smell of anxiety pouring off him was distracting. In fact, the way his heart was pounding you would think he was about to have a panic attack.

Scott just hovered in the background sullenly.

"Boys," Harry said clearing his throat as he stood up, facing them both impassively, "Want to tell me what happened last night, bear in mind it will be on the official record." eyes flashing green in warning.

"What's more to tell? Derek killed those four people!" Scott said adamantly.

"Is that so," Harry said his voice dropping further, "Is that the truth, Stiles?" he gestured with his finger to stop Noah from interfering.

"Yes," Stiles murmured his heart still pounding wildly, unable to meet either his fathers or Harry's eyes.

Derek was surprised he hadn't fainted or had a panic attack yet, the sour scent of shame meant he at least felt ashamed of himself.

"Ever the loyal friend Stiles," Harry said softly, "But is it worth joining him for five years in prison for lying to a Federal Agent?"

"WHAT?!" Scott squeaked out, eyes astonishingly large, fear finally coming into play. "Sheriff Stilinski?" his puppy look pleading with his best friends father

Noah sat in his seat grim beyond measures. He had always assumed Stiles was the bad influence on Scott, but now he was having to revise all he knew. Was Scott the reason his son was lying to him? "That is just for lying to a Federal Agent, Scott, you also obstructed justice by lying to me and filed a false report another year in prison. Do you understand what that means in full?"

"That you can be sued in a civil court, considering the damages you could end up thousands of pounds in debt." Harry retorted, eyeing Scott McCall with clear disapproval. "But that will be the least of your worries, six years in prison is probably the most pressing matter you'll have right now, and it doesn't matter that you're underage, it just means you'll spend time in a juvenile detention centre before transferring to an adult prison the second you turn eighteen."

"But he cant…" Stiles blurted out before he stopped himself, what would happen during the full moons? Harry knew what Scott was, why would he do something like that?

"Go around lying and completely putting someone's life through the damn shredder!" Harry roared, "You're nearly adults! You have to start acting like one! Step up and take responsibility for your own actions! And stop blaming everyone else for your own mistakes!"

A deputy opened the door, letting everyone in the room see that the entire department was listening in and blatantly looking into the sheriff's office. The deputy scurried in plopped the cartons of Starbucks coffee on the desk before hightailing it out of there looking seriously worried. 

"You've put Derek Hale in grievous danger, boys, it could have cost him his life," Noah said, swallowing thickly. He'd never been ashamed of his son until today. He was a good kid, would do anything for anyone, but this? This was beyond pale. 

Scott and Stiles stared at each other gulping audibly. How did they tell Harry and the Sheriff that Derek was likely dead?

"Derek, do you wish to press charges?" Harry questioned.

The stare transferred to Harry, both looking at him like he was mad, Derek wasn't there.

Derek coolly stepped out of the cupboard, flexing his body and stretching it out after stuffing himself in there. The scent of relief coming from Stiles was a surprise, to say the least, Scott just stared at his face showing no emotion, but resentment and anger were two of the most prominent scents coming from him. "No," was all he said, an intense gaze on his face that had both boys looking away.

"I should never have listened to you, either of you. You've let me down, I'm telling your mother, Scott, as for you Stiles, as soon as I am done here, you're grounded, if you try to sneak out you won't like the consequences," was all the Sheriff had to say. He'd let Scott's mother know that there really wasn't any charges being pressed, let Scott and Stiles stew for a while longer.

"What?! No! Please don't, Sheriff!" Scott pleaded, looking close to tears.

Noah bit back the 'You're lucky that's all that is happening, Scott' that was on the tip of his tongue.

"Again it's the least of your worries," Harry retorted curtly, "Both of you get in my car, I'm not done with you yet." flinging his keys at Stiles.

"Come on, Scott," Stiles said quietly, tugging on his best friend, knowing if he hadn't wanted to be moved he wouldn't have been able to. Fortunately for all concerned, Scott was too worried about coming up with a way to explain all this to his mom without giving away the real reason for all this.

"What are you planning?" Noah asked, worriedly.

"I'm going to speak to them about the possible consequences of their actions," Harry sighed, slumping slightly, "They put Derek in the firing line the first time they got him arrested. That was what alerted our suspect to Derek's location, and made my job impossibly harder,"

"Have you got enough to arrest them?" Noah asked, noticing that Harry was refraining from actually stating who the suspect was. In fact, he had been very careful not to reveal even the gender. A serial arsonist and murderer, eleven people died in the Hale fire…to think whoever it was had repeated their crimes over and over again without anyone the wiser?

"I'm waiting on the arrest warrant to come through," Harry assured him, "I'll get the son of a bitch," his tone going dark again. "The only good thing about them being here is I don't have to hunt them down."

"Do they show up in any of my cases?" Noah whispered to Harry unaware that Derek could hear everything he said, half not wanting to know the answer, especially if it was affirmative.

Harry hummed thoughtfully, his mind going over the case files, "Indirectly, the fire wasn't your case file, it was the previous sheriff if I remember correctly." glancing apologetically and solemnly at Derek for talking about his family as if it were mere paperwork. "I best get going, before Scott gets impatient and leaves, not even Stiles can talk sense into him these days." leaves was the least of his concerns when it came to Scott McCall, he'd tried to kill Stiles enough times as it was. "Or tries to kill him," he murmured so lowly that Noah didn't hear him.

Derek did though and nodded that all was good, they were both still there. He was trying his best when it came to Scott, told him whatever he wanted to hear in order to try and get Scott acclimated to his new reality. Unfortunately, everything he did made him look like the bad guy, got Allison away from him, to protect her and trying to prevent the Argents from finding out about Scott only to be accused of trying to hurt her. Tries to help Scott find out if he attacked someone? Apparently, it was him, who attacked the bus driver. Goes along with the stupid plan to exonerate McCall's boss? Get's blamed yet again, cried out as a murderer and someone who had attacked teenagers.

Glancing at Harry, gratitude thrumming through him, grateful to Stiles for introducing them, however, indirectly it was. Trying to find the Alpha while evading hunters and the police force would have been extremely difficult especially with nowhere to go. Not only had Harry given him a safe place to stay, he was helping him when he didn't need to. Perhaps it was time to tell someone what had happened six years ago, to ensure that no other family died by Kate Argent's hands…no other teenager was betrayed in one of the worst ways imaginable if they survived it. If he had confessed all…how many families would have been saved?

"Make sure Stiles knows to go directly home," Noah asked, slumping back into his seat tiredly, he hadn't expected all this when he got up this morning that's for damn certain.

"Make sure Derek's taken off that damn list, I want a public apology, Noah, he doesn't deserve the suspicion that people will carry around otherwise," Harry warned him.

"Would you prefer I wait until after the arrest?" Noah asked calmly, perfectly willing to admit his mistakes, he needed to set an example for his son, who was walking down a slippery slope.

"That's fine, but you do realize he's standing right there?" Harry pointed out seriously.

"On behalf of myself and my son, you have my sincerest apologies," the Sheriff said grimly, "I am sorry, rest assured you will be removed from the list and as soon as the perpetrator is caught, I will issue a public apology, Son," holding his hand out for Hale to shake.

Derek shook his hand, having no problem with it, due to the fact he could clearly hear that it was genuine. "Thank you, Sir," Derek replied, before shoving his fists back into his jacket looking as though he wished to disappear.

"Noah," Harry nodded in goodbye, Derek followed hot on his heels, eager to get out of there himself, he wasn't used to interacting with people anymore. It would take a long time before he got used to being in the company of others.

As they were exiting the station, Derek paused at the entrance, "Thank you," he said to Harry who paused, "And I want to make that statement,"

"I would do it for anyone in trouble," Harry said before adding sincerely, "Are you sure you can?" not judging him.

Derek nodded, having used his quota of words for the day, he took off instead of hanging around or going to the car.

Harry watched after him before returning to his car, making a note to get the Hale property sorted before returning home, which meant another task before getting Stiles and Scott back to his home, let them stew in their own sweat for a little longer. Sliding in, he slammed the door shut before revving up his engine and peeling out of the parking lot.

He didn't speak to them for an entire hour while he ran his other errands, only once they got to his home did he say sharply, "Get in!" with that he got out of the car himself, ready to do what must be done. He hadn't said even half of what he'd actually wanted to back in the station, due to the fact he didn't know everything yet and Noah didn't know about the supernatural so he couldn't lay into them the way he wished.

They were about to be though.

Harry was practically choking on the words he wanted to let loose at them, had been for over an hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Will Harry find the stab wound on Peter when he goes to visit? Will he be able to subdue him at the hospital or will Harry have to hunt for him around Beacon Hills before getting him the help he needs? Will this 'help' be before or after Kate Argent is dealt with? I doubt very much Peter would be happy if he missed out on her death after all :D Come on guys if you like the story please read and review!


	9. Chapter 9

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 9 

Derek ran as fast as he could, uncaring around the burn in his thighs or the uncomfortable feeling of his lungs being unable to get enough air into them. Running through the more dense areas of the preserve, it was miles away from where he started, but Derek needed to let off some pent-up steam. It felt like all he’d done was run for the past six years. Running from hunters, from his past, from the ghosts that haunt him. He’d killed his own family, and for what? Because he’d been stupid enough to fall for a hunter, she had utterly destroyed him. To know others had suffered the same fate had shocked him to the core. He’d always assumed it was just him she’d fixated on, wanted to hurt for some unknown reason. 

It made him feel sick to his stomach that he felt viciously glad for that. That he wasn’t the only one who had fallen for her tricks, her falsity. What kind of person does that make him? Part of him wished he had died along with the rest of his family, or been killed by Kate afterward. In fact, he wished he’d been killed by her and that she’d left his family alone, his pack alone. 

Swiftly moving to avoid trees in his way, the pathway along now as clear for now. His eyes closed as he tried to recall his sweet and quiet little sister, his beautiful and so resilient mom, his strong and brave father, his Uncle Peter before the fire…but his traitorous mind only went back to the fire that consumed everyone. 

‘Bad things happen to good people’ his sister had said, he wasn’t a good person, and everyone seemed to realize that. Why else would things keep going wrong for him? Why else would everyone look at him and see failure? Danger? And why would he see nothing but anger? Distrust? Disgust? 

Hell, he didn’t even understand why Laura had come back to Beacon Hills, when she had died he’d felt it, for the second time in his life he felt the tether connecting him to his Alpha break and the agony that came with it. That physical agony was nothing compared to the heartbreak of knowing the only family he had left was just gone. As soon as he regained some semblance of sanity, he’d immediately got onto his laptop and tracked her phone, he’d gaped blindly at the sight of ‘Beacon Hills’ before packing his meagre belongings and buying a car before hightailing it out of New York, refusing to stop unless he had no other choice, forty-four hours it had taken him to get there. Then his heart broke again, seeing Laura that way, she’d been attacked by a werewolf and then cut in half by the hunters in order to presumably lure him or warn him. 

He’d been so angry, he’d immediately begun hunting the damn werewolf down, ready to rip it to shreds, even though he knew he didn’t stand a chance against it. Not if it had gotten the better of his sister, his much stronger Alpha. By the time he’d given up there had been police all around the preserve, they’d found part of his sister's body, he’d then gone home, waited them out until they were gone and given Laura a proper werewolf burial. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Then he was accused of murdering his own sister and thus continued the downward spiral. Running faster, ignoring the throbbing of his exhausted muscles as he pushed himself way too far. He tried to help people, tried to help Scott, tried to do the right thing despite the fact the boy would stab him in the back in a heartbeat. Yet he was always repaid for that help with scorn and derision, why did he keep helping? Because he was stupidly hoping to get revenge for what happened to Laura. Scott was bound to his Alpha simply put, he should be able to find him wherever he was. All he had hoped was that they could beat this Alpha together, a greater chance of success in numbers. ‘The Pack thrives while the Omega dies’ one of his Uncle Peters favorite sayings. 

He was gaining control, yet still didn’t tap into that part of him, it was obvious why he just didn’t want to. All he was interested in was Allison Argent, Scott was going to get himself killed, it was like history repeating itself. He had been head over heels for Kate Argent, not that he’d known she was an Argent at the time, he tried to warn the boy, but anything he said it’s like Scott deliberately did the opposite just to annoy him. He didn’t know if Allison knew about werewolves or not, right now he was of the opinion that she knew nothing, if she knew surely she wouldn’t have accepted a ride home from him? Unless she was a good actress and confident in her abilities as a hunter, he wouldn’t put it past her. She was an Argent after all. He obviously wasn’t a good judge of character, he had been devastatingly wrong about Kate, no, he couldn’t trust his own judgment. Its why he didn’t want to trust anyone, but he was finding himself trusting Harry. 

He’d seen a lot in his life, feral werewolves, druidic magic, but the magic Harry was capable was both wondrous and baffling. It was a wonder he could feel curious about something. Yet he did, it sounded like this boy Teddy, Harry’s son, attended a school where his Headmistress knew about the existence of werewolves, she definitely wasn’t one herself. It had to be a boarding school, Derek shuddered at the thought of being away from his pack, his family for nine months out of the year, he was supposed this boy was able to. He wondered when the boy had been bitten and how he wasn’t feeling the pull to be a pack, to have an alpha, and to be near them. Speaking through the fireplace couldn’t be all he needed, and now that was an odd thought to have. 

Veering to his left, Derek decided to return to Harry’s, it was time to tell him everything, do all he could to get Kate Argent off the streets and keep families from being torn apart. Added to the fact the speed he had been running at for however long he’d been running had left him with the need to sit down, and he refused to do that out in the open. 

Ten minutes later he was in the vicinity of the house, passing the wards, feeling the thrum of magic in the air as he did so. Approaching the house, he heard Scott and Stiles whispering in confusion over something Harry had done, disappeared into a bowl? Then, of course, Scott changed the subject to himself, and how he was going to get out of the trouble he was in with his mom. Asking Stiles what he should do, saying that his mom couldn’t know the truth. 

“Stiles, aren’t you listening?” Scott called louder, “What do I do?” panic, worry, and fear prominently displayed. 

Derek opened the back door, made his way in through the utility room, and into the main house. He refrained from rolling his eyes, it was all me, me, me with Scott McCall, unless it was Allison Argent, from what he’d seen so far Scott McCall was a conceit, self-centered, prat. He was just about to turn around and go to his bedroom, avoid the two teens altogether, nobody could blame him after what had happened although someone would find a way, that’s how it went. Just then the bowl in the center of the room glowed blue before Harry appeared, as though he had been inside the thing. Perhaps their earlier muttering hadn’t been nonsense after all. 

He eyed it for a moment before his eyes snapped to Harry, the sense of pure unadulterated anger coming off him in waves was very, very strong. 

“How is it Scott, that you can be brave enough to want to grab Derek’s body as you flee an Alpha but be quick enough to blame him for everything?” Harry asked calmly, none of his rage showing. 

“This is all his fault!” Scott retorted hotly. 

“Really?” Harry asked wryly, “How’s that?” 

“If he hadn’t shown up none of this would have happened!” Scott felt his claws extend as his anger got the better of him. 

Harry let out a bark of derisive laughter, “Are you really that naïve?” shaking his head in utter bemusement. “You’re acting like an idiot!” 

Scott bellowed out in anger, shifting completely, and heading for Harry before Stiles could comprehend what was happening. 

In two single swift moves Harry had Scott immobilized, two feet in the air before he went flying through the open doorway falling with a thud against the floor, the pain from the fall causing him to revert back to human form. “If you ever lose control and try to hurt someone I will put you down myself, forget the fucking Argents, especially if that person is Stiles, your best friend, who you’ve nearly killed twice!” Harry remained calm, but his voice was louder than usual giving away his fury. As he stalked towards Scott, looking and sounding every bit of a predator that Scott and Derek were. “You want to know who started this? The reason why this is all happening? Why you were ultimately bitten?” twisting Scott’s arm behind his back, he marched Scott through to his office, using magic, to put up a picture of Kate Argent. 

Stiles gaped in awe at what he had just seen before scrambling after Harry and Scott, cheeks flushing at the fact Derek was here witnessing it all. 

Scott tried to get out of Harry’s hold, embarrassed that he wasn’t able to, so much for superpowers. 

“She killed eleven people here six years ago,” Harry hissed, “And contrary to your opinion there was no reason other than prejudice and hatred, it wasn’t murder, it was genocide. Hated and hunted for what they are, she goes after entire packs, none are spared, and not all of them are werewolves, a third of them are human. You won’t understand the ties that bind a pack, or how it feels to be part of one, losing your pack is devastating and can have mental ramifications, this is what all this stems from. You’re already turning into an Omega. One day soon you’ll be as feral as the Alpha that’s trying to get you to be part of their pack is. You’ll hurt someone and then there will be no choice but to deal with you before you reveal the supernatural world to everyone. Our secret is more important than one person, you think playing lacrosse is more important than keeping your secret…it will be the death of you.” with that Harry jerked Scott away from him, causing Scott to whirl around nursing his shoulder looking pale and shaken. 

“As for you, why the hell would you deliberately wind up a damn Alpha Werewolf?!” Harry snapped angrily, turning to Stiles now who had worriedly followed them through. “ESPECIALLY AFTER WOUNDING IT!” 

Derek’s eyes widened, half in a state of disbelief at the balls this human had half astonished that he was alive still.

Stiles gulped, he’d never seen Harry so angry before, and never enough to raise his voice - never. Somehow saying it was the heat of the moment wouldn’t go over well, Stiles reckoned. 

“You should thank your lucky stars that this Alpha is impaired Stiles, otherwise you would have been torn to pieces, don’t you understand how lucky you were to get out of there alive? Even with the knife, I gave you? Is that what you want? To have your father burying his only son seven years after burying his wife? IF there‘s anything left to bury!” Harry asked him. 

Stiles flinched as if Harry had physically struck him, he may as well have, it would have been less painful. 

“This isn’t a fun game, Stiles, its real life, and it’s brutal, your best friend could have turned on you at any given moment and torn you to shreds. He’s almost done that twice and that was without an Alpha werewolf egging him on into submission!” Harry continued on. 

“It’s my fault,” Stiles croaked, “I was the one who convinced him to come out that night,” 

“So what? That means you’ve got to accept him nearly killing you all the time?” Harry asked, “Not that I’m blaming him solely, I assumed you went along with it, in the end, but I was wrong you were quite happy and willing to go along with the plan. Throwing Derek under the bus when all he’s done is try and help you is the biggest act of cowardice I’ve seen in a long, long while.” 

“Derek wasn’t in Beacon Hills when you were bitten, he wasn’t here when his sister died, he got there two days afterward, and a day after you were bitten. Whoever this werewolf is, he’s trying to stabilize himself by getting three Beta’s, you resisting will cause his mental state to decline further eventually. It's clear that there was something wrong with him, his shift is wrong, it’s like he’s caught in-between a beta and full shift.” Harry got back to the matter at hand, turning to Scott, giving him the truth, “You need to wake up and smell the damn coffee and stop blaming everyone else for what happened, it’s not going to change the outcome, you need to control yourself, before you expose us all, and if I hear of any trouble whatsoever…one subtle shift in public I will tell your mother everything, including what will happen to you if you do not gain control.” knowing this was the only way to get through to the teenager. He’d found his weakness and was going to use it if he had to. And he was using it. 

“As for you, I’m disappointed in you Stiles, you knew the truth and still did what you did, I never thought you could be so cold and callous.” Harry leaned against his office desk. “I understand that you were scared, but it makes me wonder what else you’re capable of. You need to think long and hard about what kind of man you want to be.” 

Standing up, still not finished, he stared the teens down. “So let me be clear, you stay away from this case, you do not go after this Alpha, you stay out of all supernatural shenanigans and leave them to me.” Harry warned them, “I will deal with it, is that understood?” 

Stiles swallowed back the lump in his throat, before nodding his head unable to say a damn thing. To make matters worse he was going to have to return home and be interrogated by his dad who was going to ground him forever for this. He wasn’t sure what he could do or say to him that might make any sense. If he was entirely honest, he didn’t hate Derek, he’d just gotten so caught up in everything and believing Derek was the bad guy, believing Scott when he said Derek was the one who attacked the bus driver it all spiraled from there. 

“Go home, take my car, I’ll collect it from the station later,” Harry sighed, handing over the keys without so much as a glance at them. 

The two left without another word, one still nursing his shoulder as if it could possibly still be hurting him. 

“Did you mean that?” Derek asked, mesmerized by Harry’s seemingly endless abilities. He had seen Scott freeze the second Harry began speaking after trying to attack him, obviously, the teen werewolf was affected just as much as him. 

“Yes, I meant it, Derek,” Harry sighed, rubbing his face, tired beyond belief. Seeing Stiles taunting that werewolf after wounding it…it had nearly given him a heart attack. “I have to before it turns Scott completely or worse comes after Stiles with its wounded pride, a human getting the better of him, he will feel as though he has a point to prove. Especially to his unwilling Beta, he won’t want to seem weak, he will have a desire to seem immortal, un-defeat-able, the ultimate Alpha. This werewolf is being solely led by his wolf, I’m not sure there’s much humanity left in him.” 

“What do you mean?” Derek asked, wondering what he’d seen. 

“Go see for yourself,” Harry said, standing up, rolling his own tense shoulders, as he moved out of his office and back into his living room where it had all began. “This is a pensive, inside it is the memory of last night shown in three dimensional, only you’re inside it, able to walk through it, these are also used for testimonies and interviews that happen. Would you like to see?” he could clearly see that Derek was intrigued by his magic, even simple druidic magic or what he thought was druidic magic anyway.

One nod from Derek had Harry grasping his shoulder before touching the surface before long both of them were immersed inside. The blue glow was all that was in the room for near enough ten minutes as the two in the pensive viewed the memory. 

When they emerged, Derek was in his Beta shift, eyes shining blue, but he was just as swiftly changing back, “That was…” unable to articulate his own answer. 

Harry smiled genuinely, “It’s mesmerizing isn’t it?” sitting on the sofa. “I remember the first time I ended up in one, I tried talking to them, thinking they were real.” chuckling in amusement. “Pensives are very rare, its delicate magic that goes into them, a lot of old families have them, cost a small fortune too.” 

“Your people won’t just be reading my statement will they?” Derek asked broodingly from where he stood, his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Memories aren’t freely given or offered by my people as you call us,” Harry explained, understanding his concern. “It’s considered a gross invasion of privacy, so unless you give me your explicit agreement, along with a signature to state that you are allowing the memory to be viewed in the court of law, your written statement will be all that is seen.” 

Derek grunted out a noise of understanding, tense and coiled ready to bolt. 

“You should eat, I doubt very much you’ll be in the mood to do so later,” Harry informed him bluntly, using his arm to hoist himself off the sofa and making his way out of the living room, throwing over his shoulder as he moved, “You can help, having something to do will take your mind off it, temporarily as it may be.” 

“Here, pick something,” Harry pressing a spiral bound black book into Derek’s chest, glancing down he looked momentarily amused before his eyes flicked back up before he shrugged and opened the book. It was a handwritten notebook filled with different recipes, some didn’t have a name, presumably because Harry made them himself, while others had names blazoned across the top. 

“Sesame steak stir-fry,” Derek said after a quick perusal of the book. Noticing that the majority of the recipes were meat based. Considering he had found out Harry had a werewolf son, he wasn’t surprised, however, the book certainly didn’t look just a few years old. 

“Like your food spicy?” Harry said, giving him a grin before he began the preparations, magic doing most of it for him, brown sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, oil, and water floated over to him while the brown packed steak from the fridge floated over to Derek. “Slice it thinly,” he added as he added everything to the bowl, able to cook from memory. 

“Well, that’s definitely a way to do it,” Harry said in amusement, the steak already sliced finely with a few rapid flicks of Derek’s claw that cut through the steak as though it were butter. He was becoming less guarded, more comfortable here, he wondered just how long it had been since Derek felt at home anywhere. Six years was a hell of a long time to carry around a burden such as he did. He flicked his own hand, but instead of claws, magic was used to cut up scallions, cucumber, and cabbage. 

Staring down at the shredded meat, he asked, “When was your son bitten?” 

Harry glanced up from where he was putting the cut up vegetables into his wok, blinking at Derek before remembering that he only knew what he’d heard in the fireplace. “Teddy wasn’t bitten, he was a born wolf,” 

“What happened to his mom? Was it hunters?” Derek then asked, wondering if that was why Harry was so quick to help those in trouble…because of his what? Girlfriend? 

Harry poured carrots and water into the wok, contemplating internally for a few moments before deciding to be truthful, he couldn’t expect Derek to do the same thing if he wasn’t. “Teddy isn’t biologically my son, I was named his godfather when he was barely a day old…not that I knew at the time, I was told after the fact,” Harry told him sounding more as though he was musing than explaining. “His mother was a witch, his father was a werewolf, there was always going to be a fifty-fifty chance that he was going to be a werewolf, they died together on the same day, it wasn’t hunters, but they were hero’s, although I have no doubt Teddy would have rather had them with him than any title of hero in the final battle - a magical war that had been going on for quite some time.” was it selfish of him to be secretly grateful that Andromeda died after the news that her daughter was gone so soon after her husband? Probably, but he had raised Teddy since before he was a year old, he loved him, would do anything for him. 

Derek winced, “Sorry,” he couldn’t imagine growing up without his family. 

“Don’t be, its hardly your fault,” Harry commented, it certainly could be a lot worse, at least Teddy hadn’t had his childhood. Which could have happened if he hadn’t been named godfather, werewolves weren’t exactly cherished in the magical world even now, despite the fact Remus was a hero, Tonks had received a medal, Remus had not, he’d seethed over that for months. 

The steak was added as Harry cooked the rice within seconds before that too was in the wok. 

“How is your son able to stay so…stable without a pack? Without anyone, stuck in a school for nine months?” Derek was unable to curb his questions, it went against everything he knew for a wolf to be able to stay sane without a pack. 

“Teddy returns home whenever he feels the need to, he does have a pack, I am for all intents and purpose his Alpha, and Stiles is like a brother to him, I heavily suspect Jimmy will be added to his small family unit in due time.” Harry explained, “Every few months sometimes every month he comes here for the Full Moon, I don’t get much sleep, he’s extremely hyperactive, worse than Stiles on a good day.” a fond smile on his face. 

“You say Stiles didn’t know about the supernatural, your son must have phenomenal control to have been friends with him so long without giving himself away.” Derek was actually envious of that, he’d had trouble even at fifteen and sixteen years of age, he’d been the worst of all his siblings when it came to control. 

“Do you know any of your histories? I mean the lycanthrope history?” Harry questioned as he grabbed two plates and began to dish out the food. 

“Yes,” Derek replied, giving Harry a curious look as he put the rest of the food into a container. 

“So you know about the two different versions of Lycanthrope, yes?” Harry asked him, grabbing two medium bottles of soda and handing them to Derek before grabbing the plates and making his way through to the living room. 

“That’s rumors, there are no other types of werewolf,” Derek blurted out before he could even hope to contain himself. 

“I assure you there is,” Harry commented as he sat down, accepting his bottle of soda. Taking a bite of the food, satisfied with the taste he continued, “Teddy’s father was a bitten wolf, unlike you, the transformation on the full moon turns him into a wolf, his wolf literarily took over him, he barely remembered much of what happened on those nights. They are only…excuse me for using this term, I’m not terribly fond of it either…capable of infecting someone else while the moon is full. They do not have the wonder that is your magnificent healing powers, in fact sometimes they can be incapacitated for days after the full moon due to injuries they inflict on themselves or the ache in their bones from the forceful transformation. While they can get angry and emotional during that phase of the moon, they show no signs of being a werewolf, no unsheathing claws, no eyes flashing, nothing at all.”

Derek just stared in disbelief, his family went back for generations and they’d never heard of that, those sort of wolves were only found in pathetic Hollywood movies. 

“I have books you can read if you like, and I’m pretty sure my son is going to be here in a few days for the Full Moon, then you’ll see for yourself,” Harry said with an air of devilish mischievousness. “What color is your own coat?” 

“Coat?” Derek repeated blankly, he’d well and truly lost his ability to process information. 

“Your own animal form,” Harry asked, not really paying attention to Derek as he ate his food. 

“Beta’s don’t have the ability to do a full shift,” Derek pointed out perplexed, “It’s really rare to full shift at all, my mom and sister were capable of it as Alphas.” both of them had been black and utterly breathtaking, the first time he’d seen Laura change forms he had almost broken down in guilt. 

It was Harry’s turn to stare at him perplexed. “You’re a werewolf, Derek, it's in your DNA, you all have the capabilities of shifting into full form…how could this information have been lost and forgotten?” 

They both stared at each other confusion and denial the most prominent emotions displayed. 

Yet the undeniable proof was in the stead beat of Harry’s heart, he hadn’t lied…he truly believed what he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Scott is a constant idiot Stiles was quite callous himself sometimes in the series wasn't he at least in the beginning! He's still quite the character though :) ironic really it's meant to be about Scott but I honestly think Stiles is more of the main character what do you guys think?
> 
> There we go another chapter for you all to enjoy this wasn't as big as an ass whupping that I wanted to give Scott BUT considering his actions there will be plenty of time that Harry can lay into him! So will I make Derek black just like he is in the series? Will the rest of his pack be able to do it? Will Issac, Boyd, and Erica be turned still? What about Jackson? Will he still be turned or will he be obliviated? Read and Review please guys!


	10. Chapter 10

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 10

It was hours later before Derek found himself sitting in Harry's office ready to give his statement. Despite it being an 'office' setting, it housed very comfortable furniture, just like the chairs in his library. The library seemed much bigger than the time he'd glimpsed it upon being shown around the house. He hadn't seen any normal reading books, all of them seemed educational. Hours earlier, he'd been in complete denial, but the book he'd read was extremely accurate, to say the least, with only two things he could think to name being missing about his biology but they were barely worth mentioning. What had surprised him was the fact they were actually written about fairly, as if someone from outside the pack had immersed themselves in one and written a book about them. It definitely wasn't a book by a hunter that was for damn certain. There was nothing personal written about the pack they'd used as research, whoever it was had either respected boundaries or not been given full access.

According to the book, each member of the pack was able to 'transform' as the book said instead of 'shift' into wolf form. There were pictures of them, all different 'coats' with either gold or blue eyes, with obviously one wolf that was bigger than all others with red eyes, the eyes of an Alpha. He must have stared blindly at the picture for over twenty minutes, it was like a video clip, the pack pounding on each other playfully before it cuts off and goes back to play all over again. There were no two wolves the same color. It made his heart ache fiercely for his family, to have a pack again.

The office was actually quite bare compared to recent times, all the pictures and paperwork were absent, including the one of Kate Argent, for that he was very grateful. It was going to be difficult enough as it was to reveal everything without the picture of the perpetrator being right there.

"Alright," Harry said after setting everything up, "This is a Dicti-Quill, it will write everything down we say, it helps when it comes to long interviews. If it distracts you I can stop it and write everything by hand if you would prefer it that way." Harry explained, sitting there a strong solid presence, he practically screamed 'Alpha' right now. Calm and more importantly of all, he didn't have a blank façade on, now that would have sent Derek running. Nor did he have any pity on his face, it was solemn and with a hint of sympathy but not enough to be distracting.

"For the record, please state your full name," Harry stated.

"Derek Sebastian Hale," and Derek observed the Quill writing out everything that was being said with interest.

"Age?"

"Twenty-one, my birthday is 25th December," Derek replied.

Harry's lips quirked a little at that, "And your species?"

It took a few seconds before Derek replied, "I'm a born werewolf," he noticed that Latin words scribbled across the page, the same words that had been in the book, rough translation being type two lycanthrope he knew basic Latin.

"When and where did you first encounter Katherine Argent better known as the substitute teacher, Kat Arian?" Harry queried, after glancing at the paperwork. Arian was silver in Welsh, she'd stuck to her usual routine, which had helped him pin down a few of her aliases which would have been a bit more difficult to find otherwise.

"Beacon Hills high school," Derek ground out, even just hearing her name was enough to make him feel guilty. "Six years ago,"

"I'm sorry I require the date, if you can remember it," Harry informed him.

Derek stared blankly at the wall, "May 2004,"

"To confirm you were fifteen at the time?"

"Sixteen," he confirmed.

"What age were you when she first made a sexual advance?"

"Sixteen," his claws out digging into his leg.

"You began dating her?" Harry asked leaning forward.

"Yes," was ground out.

"Derek, you understand that she used you for her own sick amusement, don't you?" Harry said quietly, "She didn't need you, you were not part of the conspiracy that killed eleven members of your pack."

"It is my fault," Derek hissed vehemently.

"No, it truly wasn't, she had everything she needed, with or without you," Harry said patiently, "She paid people to help her start that fire, she paid for a copy of the blueprints of your home. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that a pack would come together for the Wolf Moon, any pack worth their name celebrates it. And as a substitute at the school, she had access to your locker, she could have easily taken anything from there to cover her own scent however pathetic the attempt was. She meant for you to survive, I believe she meant to kill you herself later, as she has done many times in the past. She loves getting one over people, making them feel tortures of the damned before killing them."

Derek just stared blindly, he didn't want to believe it.

"The Argents have been sabotaging the werewolf hierarchy for decades, from what I've found out an attack happened during a peace conference here actually, which your mother, Alpha Talia Hale and Alpha Satomi refused to attend, it's no coincidence that after that your pack was attacked. Your mother was held in very high regard, revered and werewolves flocked to her for aid, or your mother went to them to sort out any problems they had. Think about it, think of the damage that's been caused without someone willing to keep the peace? Your family was specifically targeted. Your actions have no bearing on what went down, believe me," Harry retorted when that fire happened the packs had gone underground, moving to different places making it harder for the Argents to track them down. "Your family was very influential, for a hunter…it was the kind of hit that would ensure a legacy, one they would be proud of." a grimace of disgust on his face.

"You know Alpha Satomi?" Derek spoke, trying to digest everything that had just been thrown his way.

"I do, I aided her once after finishing a mission I was on, it's actually how I found out about your kind of Lycanthrope," Harry said with a small smile, "She came here looking for both of you after the fire, she wanted to help both of you in any way she could, despite the fact she was in the process of moving her pack to a different location. Your family demise caused widespread panic and fear in the Lycan community, leading many to move their packs."

Derek's eyes flashed, to think they would have been welcomed into another pack…however, temporarily, it would have been good. For both him and Laura, but instead, they'd ran and never stopped.

"She heard about Laura and wished to convey her sympathies, that if you want, you can become a member of her pack." Harry said softly, "I've been told to give you her number, she would like to speak to you, even if you have no desire to join her pack. She wishes to give Peter the same opportunity as well when he recovers,"

"She was a good friend of my moms, two Alpha's rarely got on without some fighting, but not them," Derek said in awe, "Both of them were peaceful Alpha's but willing to do whatever it took to protect their packs." to know he had someone to go to if being an Omega began to get to him was a relief. More so than anyone could possibly fathom, he did not want to end up like this Alpha or Scott. He also didn't want to join a pack that wasn't a 'Hale' pack unless he had absolutely no choice. He was proud of his legacy, and he'd love nothing more than to see the Hale pack become great again. To know he hadn't destroyed the Hale dynasty. No, he hadn't done it, to know the Hale dynasty wasn't ended by what Argent had done.

"Yes, she was willing to sacrifice her life instead of leading the hunters who cornered her to the rest of her pack," Harry nodded, "But there is something I have to tell you about Deaton, if you had confided in me about your fears…the other night may have been avoided entirely."

"What are you talking about?" Derek questioned stiffening up at the words.

"Deaton was…the Hale pack Emissary," Harry confessed, a dark look passing his face. "Unfortunately," and it was unfortunate, any emissary worth their name would have paid attention to the entire pack, noticed any and all hunters that come into Hale territory.

"What? No, that's impossible, Laura would have said," Derek said immediately.

"Would she have? She just lost her Alpha, her family, her pack, and the Hale Emissary was nowhere to be seen, the rumors of a fire would have been all over town within half an hour. Any Emissary would have fought to remain with the remaining members of their pack, to protect them, as they were sworn to do. Even if it meant searching high and low for both of you and if it came to it…unable to find you they would have protected Peter. Yet he never approached the hospital, never tried to find both of you. He was open the day after the fire, Derek, and from what I can deduce from around the property, he has it warded to the nines against werewolves, he knows about Scott has known since he was bitten and said nothing, did nothing to help him." Harry informed him. "He's obviously hiding something, but what that something is I do not know,"

"How do you know he was our Emissary?" Derek asked, for once not regarding Harry with suspicion for his information, what surprisingly didn't surprise him was the fact Harry had continued digging. How else would he have found everything Kate Argent had done if it wasn't for his dedication and determination? Simply put he just didn't give up.

"Alpha Satomi, at one point Deaton had quite an active part in the decision making of the pack…or at least some influence, he attended a few meetings with your Alpha and Alpha Satomi and Alpha's that she wasn't comfortable disclosing the identities off presumably when your sister was busy at school and wasn't able to do her second in charge duties or your mother didn't feel comfortable taking Laura into a situation with more than four Alphas." Harry admitted, he was actually still trying to get information on what had gone down here six nearly seven years ago actually, but he wasn't having much luck with the contacts he had. He intended to get the files on the incident and see if there was an angle he could work with, the police knew nothing of the supernatural so he would be able to see things they wouldn't.

He'd go for his car at the same time. Which was still where Stiles left it, presumably in the space where his truck had been.

He'd visit Peter while he was at it since he hadn't gone this afternoon.

"Alright, we best get back to the interview, I apologize for deviating," Harry said professionally, the Quill perked up, poised ready to write, it hadn't written anything since Harry's last official question. "When were you first approached by Kate Argent that wasn't strictly professional?"

This time Derek straightened his spine, anger instead of guilt as he finally began to believe he wasn't to blame. "After my first class with her,"

Harry observed him, knowing that he was finally beginning to understand. it was just a little flame right now, but hopefully he would believe it in due time, he'd never get over it, not really, but not believing he was to blame would help Derek move on, to live his life properly and reclaim living status instead of running and merely existing. He knew how debilitating it was to feel responsible for your families death.

Unfortunately, unlike Derek, he was responsible for his families death by existing. Yet knowing that his mum loved him, refused to save her own life and let him die had strengthened him as an adult. It gave him strength, purpose, if he died he would make his mums life in vain, it's those thoughts that had circled him while fighting Voldemort, then Teddy came into his life…and he finally understood her completely, parenthood changed you, made you do anything for that bundle in your arms. Even if it meant sacrificing yourself for them, his feelings had only strengthened as he saw Teddy through childhood and into his teenage years.

And Derek went into detail about everything Harry asked him about, and if he dug his claws into his thighs it didn't matter. Or if he flashed his eyes, there was no fear in this room, just an understanding that Derek wouldn't have thought possible. During the interview, he once again wondered just how it was possible for such an understanding unless…Harry had lost his family in a similar circumstance to his own.

Harry's previous words circling his mind, 'Everyone feels like that, when something so devastating happens they feel alone, that nobody could possibly understand, but you're right, I can't fully understand what you went through, but do not delude yourself into thinking that you're the only one in the world who's had their entire family ripped from them and had something worse happen years later.'

It was no wonder Harry knew how to react, what to say if he had gone through something similar.

For the first time in six years, he felt free, unburdened, and he owed Harry it all.

It eased something within him that there was someone who knew what was what, since he did not.

He felt as though he had an Alpha, a mentor, a teacher, and contrary to popular belief, one is never too old for a mentor. Having grown up as a Beta, he instinctively gravitated towards a leader, wanted to listen to his Alpha.

"What is it you desire right now, Derek? More than anything else in the world? Except for revenge?" Harry asked, flicking his hand and the paperwork and Quill settled itself into a drawer. He wanted to try and get Derek living again, not just existing, to make him think of the future. If he began thinking of the future he perhaps wouldn't dwell on the past quite so much. He understood in a greater detail now thanks to the interview. He was just now more determined than ever to help how he could. Right now all he could do was help Derek see he wasn't at fault and hopefully give Derek his uncle back.

"To remember my family," Derek admitted, "I can barely remember their faces, I have no pictures of them, what we had…they were all destroyed in the fire." they had to wear special contacts to get pictures to come out right without their faces blurred. They were downright irritating, made them feel blind, but they'd all done it. It was usually on those days that they had group photos before attending school to get their school pictures taken.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I understand that I was nearly twelve-years-old before I first got a picture of my parents before I knew what they looked like. I keep them close my heart. Always."

Derek felt sympathy for Harry, how young was he when he lost his family? What the hell happened that he wasn't even given a picture of them until he was twelve? Derek stiffened in shock, the feeling of a stirring pack bond between himself and Harry coming to life. Very faint, but it was there, and it stunned Derek who just bolted from the room without so much as an explanation.

Harry watched him go, green eyes glimmering sadly, he was surprised it hadn't happened sooner if he was honest. He had spoken about something extremely difficult, something he hadn't spoken about before, and now in excruciating detail with a relative stranger. You're damn right he needed time to process.

The wards indicated that he hadn't left the house, merely gone to his bedroom. A place Harry had sworn he wouldn't enter, and he would keep that promise.

\-------------------------0

"Three seconds before the arrival of J.B Hobson's letter I no more thought of pursuing the unicorn than attempting the passage of the North Sea. Three seconds after reading the letter of the honourable secretary of Marine, I felt that my true vocation, the sole end of my life, was to chase this disturbing monster and purge it from the world." Harry's voice spoke the words of Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. "But I had just returned from a fatiguing journey, weary and longing for repose. I aspired to nothing more than again seeing my country, my friends, my little lodging by the Jardin des Plantes, my dear and precious collections-but nothing could keep my back! I forgot all - fatigue, friends and collections-accept," Harry stopped in mid-sentence, glancing up to see who had made the noise.

"Derek," Harry said, blinking in surprise at the sight of him. Sliding the bookmark into the page as he observed the werewolf.

"I didn't know you'd be here," Derek told him awkwardly.

"I've been visiting him twice a day," Harry replied, "Reading mostly, Jules Verne's books, Teddy loved them, although I'm not sure whether your Uncle will but its something." gesturing towards the book on his lap.

Derek smiled, his eyes a hundred miles away, "Uncle Peter was an avid reader, before the fire he was making electronic copies of all the books in the library, translating others too. A lot of the books were in Latin, Russian, Greek, German and a few other languages, we had quite a hoard of them."

"Were the two of you close? I mean he's only a few years older than you, he and you must have practically grown up together…along with your cousins." Harry asked. Closing the book, he would have done anything to have a big family, like Ron's, although it was only later in life that Ron truly felt grateful for his family but that was always the case.

Derek sobered up at that, "We were,"

"I have a feeling that 'We were' happened before the fire," Harry said cocking his head to the side thoughtfully, "Most brothers or sisters fight constantly, I can't imagine how it must feel with added pressures and emotions on top of it."

Derek just nodded, agreeing with him but saying nothing about what the incident could be. He knew Peter cared about him, loved him, in his own way. He'd protected him from Hunters when he could have run if he really didn't care. They stayed together for days waiting the hunters out before going home where they were safe. Peter also helped him gain control of his wolf, but he was very manipulative. There was no denying that, but he couldn't solely blame Peter, he had agreed to it, to have Ennis bite Paige, so she would be like him, he'd been so in lust with her, he'd stupidly thought it was love, but he'd been too young to truly feel love. Things would have been different obviously if Paige had survived, but she hadn't, and to make matters worse…she had known something was off with him and hadn't cared. Sooner or later though, if their relationship had continued he would have wanted to bite her. He knew this. He knew better now though, he'd never bite any significant other he has unless he had absolutely no choice. He never wanted to feel that kind of loss again, not that he planned on a long-term relationship. He'd never be able to trust anyone in order to properly let them in.

"I'll leave you to it," Harry said standing up, placing the book back where the others were stationed. As he did, he spotted blood on the crisp white lining of the bed sheets. Glancing up at Peter's face, it wasn't a shaving cut, oh boy, perhaps his earlier speculations weren't that far off. Knowing where the Alpha had been injured, Harry peeled back his hospital pajama top, and found it had been covered, he stripped back the bandage and found the knife wound.

Damn it.

Then Harry was grasped tightly around the arm next to the wound before the next thing he knew he was sailing through the air, smacking bodily against the wall.

Almost immediately smashing, snarling, growling and bodies smacking against the walls penetrated the room as Derek and Peter fought furiously with each other.

"Fuck," he groaned, "Been a long time since anyone caught me off guard,"

It paused the fighting, for, however, brief a time.

"I did wonder if it was you, something must have happened though, to wake you up, the question is what? It's not as if you'd fully healed," not shying away from the burns on Peters' face, as Derek helped him stand up, still reeling over Peters betrayal.

"I have my nurse to thank for that," Peter said, eyes flashing red, "I will be repaying the favor tonight, a bit early, but I can move my plans up."

"You won't be enacting any plans of yours, Peter, I won't allow it." Harry retorted sharply, "I would have stood back and let you have at them, it is within your rights, I know pack laws, but you chose to go after innocent students, and more importantly Stiles, and that I find unconscionable."

"And how do you think you can stop me?" Peter asked a devious smirk on his face, his still claws out a sort of purred growl emanating from him.

Derek snarled loudly and crouched down, shifting to Beta form again ready to go round two with his uncle, to do what he must to get revenge for what happened to Laura.

Peter sobered at the sight, his claws disappearing as if declaring that he would not fight his nephew again. His gaze never wavering from the steel blue eyes.

Harry took that moment to stun Peter, who didn't even see it coming too intent on Derek.

"Don't!" Harry called to Derek who looked ready to swoop down and kill Peter were he lay. "You know as well as I do that he's unwell, I've never seen anything quite like it when you go feral, you go completely feral, but Peter hasn't reached that stage yet. I can get him the help he needs. You know what I'm capable of."

Derek returned to human form, looking torn.

"Unfortunately…he will have to live with the knowledge of what he's done, however…feral he was at the time." Harry said quietly, touching his shoulder. "He and his wolf want revenge, but I doubt it was to the extent of killing his family…I will know soon enough."

"And if he did?" Derek enquired darkly.

"I doubt he did, you could see for yourself, he didn't want to fight you, Derek, but last night the wolf didn't hesitate," Harry said sounding bewildered, "I don't understand it, I've never seen insanity defined this way." grimacing in pain, being thrown across the room had hurt him more than he'd like to admit. "Can you pick him up?" rubbing absently at his shoulder as if he could massage the pain from it.

"What are you doing?" Derek questioned as he picked up his uncle easily enough.

"I'm going to clear out his room, make it so that Peter woke up from his coma and was sent to the United Kingdom to have plastic surgery done on his burns," Harry was quick on his feet, flicking out his wand grasped a button from his shirt and turned it into a bag before summoning everything from the room, including the plants, before nodding to himself. Slinging the bag onto his uninjured shoulder and disappearing out of the door.

Derek watched the file on the clipboard at the bottom of the bed melt away as if it was never there, to begin with. A few moments later, Harry quickly made his way back inside the room.

"We need to leave before we're seen," Harry urged him, summoning the bedpan, and swiftly made a Portkey. Not that anyone would know since it was done wordlessly, the only indication that something happened was it glowing orange. "Touch it, do not let go of it for any reason, it's a bit like a miniature tornado, it will take us straight home."

Derek did indeed hold on tight, to the extent that the metal was crushed flat, the word 'Home' resonating within his head on repeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know the mess that is the timeline of Teen Wolf makes even my older stories look bloody brilliant in comparison! Two dates of births for Derek (DAY AND YEAR!) it makes making your own timeline damn near impossible and that annoys me. Then two dates for what age Derek was when he lost his family! (16 or 18) urgh, You'd think professionals would know better than to mess something like that up but I guess we're all only human huh still it's a good job I'm not going to be focusing too much on the past! Do you guys want Cora to be in the story? I kinda want her to be in at least one of them, and this one would admittedly be the best one instead of Preditors of the moon (my Derek/Harry story) What age do you want Teddy to be? Sixteen and the same age (more or less) to Stiles or seventeen? Will he decide against going back to Hogwarts and become a fully fledged part of the story? Would you like to see how different Stiles is with Teddy compared to Scott? what would happen to Scott if Stiles wasn't able to give it his all to help him? and Deaton is a fucked up character he's the only one who could have put word out about scott's possible 'True Alpha' stick! Do you want to see Scott screw that up for himself (I do have a way to prevent scott ever being able to be true alpha) if you'd all like to see that and the look on Deaton's face ;) Read and Review please guys!


	11. Chapter 11

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 11

"Follow me," Harry said, moving stiffly, thank Merlin there hadn't been anything on the far side of the hospital room. It was actually the only side of the room that was empty. He would have suspected that was the reason Peter chose it if he was at all thinking rationally. Part of him obviously was, but the majority of Peter was utterly insane. Harry had no understanding of what was going on, this was a singularly unique situation he was in. Not that it was surprising, really, since there was always something new to learn. His Hogwarts education had been quite lacking in a lot of ways but he had more than made up for it now.

With a flick of his hand, the Portkey that had masqueraded as a bedpan disappeared into thin air. Only then was Harry able to start climbing the stairs, using the banister to hoist his sore body up the steps. He'd definitely jarred his ribs, but thankfully nothing was broken. After he took a potion he would be just fine, the aches and pains would disappear. He'd be summoning his potions supply kit in a few minutes to take care of those old burns and find out how Peter was mentally. Maybe not in that order.

Derek sniffed the air, for the first time being able to smell a familiar scent, one that screamed werewolf. It must be coming from Harry's sons' room which they had just passed. It might scream werewolf, but it was a different kind, it had an undercurrent like his mom and Laura, the scent of fur. The second room though, Harry opened the door to what was obviously another guest bedroom that had a faint lingering smell of Stiles who must have slept over in the past but a long while ago judging by how faint it was.

One step into the room, he realized the scent of Harry's son and Stiles was mixed together, significantly more mixed than even Stiles and Scott's scents were. Then again werewolves were much more tactile than humans, and Teddy probably did it unconsciously, scent marking someone he considered a brother for a lot longer period of time than Scott who had just been changed and was refusing anything to do with his new powers. It seriously aggrieved Derek to see, the bite was a gift, he had been given a gift, and Scott just didn't seem to see it at all.

"Put him down on the bed when you're ready," Harry called out to Derek who was standing in the doorway with his unconscious Uncle in his arms lost in thought. Harry pulled back the covers, hoping against hope that he could save Peter so that Derek could have at least one family member left in his life. Although he wasn't sure Derek would be able to forgive Peter for killing Laura even if he didn't mean it.

"I am waiting on someone coming, Erin, she has permission to come in, I don't think she will be here or at least an hour yet, but if she comes, tell her to wait and I'll see to her as soon as possible," Harry explained, his tone confident and reassuring. "She will come through the Floo network, in the living room. Now what I am about to do requires immense focus, I'm going to go through your Uncles memories, to find out what's causing the instability. As I've said before, there is something wrong, I've never seen anything like it before. I could be…at this for hours, it just depends if I can find what I'm looking for. He won't come around, at least not yet, the spell should stay on him for a day at least,"

"What would you have me do if she shows up?" Derek asked, frankly alarmed.

"Explain that I'm indisposed, that I shouldn't be too long, offer her a coffee or tea, sit and wait, that's only if she comes," Harry "She's here to pick up the last of the evidence I have for the case. It's going to the Magical president of MACUSA who is going to explain the case to the council and they are going to decide what to do with her. I'm hoping that she will receive the Death penalty, if not she'll end up in a magical prison for the rest of her life. One she won't be able to get out of, not even magical's can get out of the prison let alone a No-Maj." giving him all the reassurance's he probably needed to hear. That regardless of what happened Kate Argent was never going to bother him again AND she was going to pay for her crimes against his family and those others he had destroyed.

Derek shored himself up, giving Harry a nod, he could do this, it's the least he could do after everything Harry had and was still doing for him.

"I probably won't move during the duration of the spell, don't fret, it's normal," Harry added, placing the covers over Peter, he knew werewolves were naturally warmer than humans, but Peter wasn't well, his werewolf wasn't acting normal so his temperature might not be either. He guided Peter's face to the side, propped up on the pillow, Harry knelt down on the floor at the top of the bed.

"Legilimens," was uttered and that was it.

Derek watched the scene warily for a few moments, and true to Harry's word, he didn't move, didn't even so much as twitch.

Meanwhile, Harry began to trudge through dark pain filled memories that Peter had endured.

His place in the pack, what he did to keep them safe, Talia Hale's left hand, despite the fact he was only a few years older than her only son.

From the heat of the too hot shower while being cared for at the hospital.

To the fire that had consumed his entire pack.

More importantly how he had woken up and what his nurse was doing.

So much darkness and pain, Harry could barely tolerate it, and he was only observing, feeling phantoms of those pains.

Time slowly ticked by, but Harry heard nothing, not the Floo activating, not Derek leaving, of the conversation Erin was having with Derek.

\------------------------------------------------0

-0 One Hour and thirty-five minutes later 0-

Harry gasped, withdrawing from Peter's mind a shudder crawling up his spine. Groaning as the pain in his knees became known to him, he should have cast a cushioning spell before he begun. Letting himself fall to the side so his knees were relieved of the constant pressure of holding his weight. Blinking as he stretched out, rotating his head from side to side working out the kinks.

"Accio potions kit!" Harry flung his hand out, waiting for it coming, wincing at the slamming from the cupboard door, now that had been loud. How long had he been in Peters mind? The tingling of the wards alerted him to the fact Erin was in his home, poor antisocial Derek was probably having a tough time right now. "I'll be down momentarily," he commented quietly, as he snatched his kit before it thumped and hit him in the chest.

His fingers ran over the rows of potions until he found the blue one, giving it a sniff he nodded his head, this was one of the strongest dreamless sleep draughts out there. Easing open Peter's mouth, he helped the stunned werewolf to drink the draught. Only once it had been fully consumed did Harry remove his fingers from his throat and took off the stunning charm. There, that would keep him out of it for twenty-four hours, especially if he'd never had a potion before, and he hadn't if Derek's lack of knowledge on wizards was to be believed.

Harry took two potions himself, a muscle relaxant and a mild pain reliever.

Placing the three vials in the wastebasket in the room, casting a few spells on Peter to be on the safe side before Apparating downstairs. The diagnosis sheet in his hands but unobserved for the moment.

"Harry!" Erin said looking up with a smile, sitting on the couch with a coffee in her hand looking comfortable.

"How long was I out?" Harry asked Derek nodding at Erin and giving a small welcoming smile of his own.

"Nearly two hours," Derek explained, looking Harry over for any injuries or clues as to what went down. "What happened?" he demanded, unable to curb his almost feral need to know. He did notice the look of blatant shock on Erin's face at how he spoke to Harry. Which made him internally wince, perhaps he'd been too curt but it was just how he was used to being and it was becoming a difficult habit to break.

"Merlin, I'm sorry Erin, I hope I haven't inconvenienced you," Harry said completely ignoring Derek, "If you'll give me a moment, I'll get everything you'll need."

"No worries, I've only been here half an hour, and I got a coffee out of it," Erin teased, "Derek might not drink but he sure makes a mean coffee."

"That's something…at least," Harry nodded, "Excuse me," he added making haste towards his office, gathering everything he needed. It wasn't as simple as summoning them, his office drawers were spelled to prevent such a thing from occurring. He had gone to great lengths to keep Teddy out of his stuff after all, what good would it do if he could wish for the information enough to use accidental magic to summon details of his missions that he never wanted Teddy to see.

"Would you do me a favor?" Harry asked as he returned to the room, stacks of paperwork in a tightly bound folder, which was promptly passed over to Erin. Harry also made a copy of Peter's medical scan and handed it over, which Erin immediately put into the file.

"And what kind of favor would that be?" Erin asked, gazing shrewdly at the powerful wizard before her. She knew better than to agree, before finding out what was going on.

"Ask Donovan if he would send over his personal healer, he will be paid for his time, and I shouldn't need him for any longer than half an hour." Harry promised, "Once he sees Peter's medical scan he should understand without asking." he had only glanced at it but it was enough to make him concerned. Donovan's healer, James Preston, was one of the best healers, hence why he was chosen as a personal healer to the president of MACUSA. He was also very well read about magical creatures, he would know how to help Peter better than him at any rate.

"I will inform him immediately after I've handed this over," Erin promised, seeing no need to deny Harry his request.

"Thank you," Harry sighed out his relief, "When is the meeting scheduled for?"

"It's in two hours and twenty minutes from now," Erin replied, she knew her bosses schedule very well.

"And will I be informed of the results?" Harry then asked.

"I'm sure the boss will let you know," Erin smiled and drank the rest of her coffee, "Thank you very much for the coffee and company, I wish you well," she informed Derek.

"Thank you," Derek blurted out, looking a little taken aback by the words as if he had grown so used to scorn and distaste that he didn't remember what politeness sounded like.

"I'll see you soon, Harry," using his given name as she often did in his home, but remained professional in her work setting.

"You will," Harry agreed, "Take care,"

With that Erin Apparated away to MACUSA presumably, evidently she was working late, Harry almost felt sorry for being the one to have her working so late.

"Alright," Harry said rubbing his eyes tiredly, "I'll explain what I saw and the results of the scan in a moment…I need a coffee first," and with that Harry disappeared into the kitchen. With a flick of his hand, he reheated the water in the kettle and made himself a coffee, not bothering with his coffee maker right now. Quite honestly, he would prefer something much, much stronger but he wasn't a big drinker.

He was so out of it that he actually jumped when he spotted Derek standing in the doorway.

"Coffee?" Harry asked him sliding into a seat, Derek declined and sat opposite Harry on the kitchen island/bar.

"First thing first…the reason Peter isn't healing or hasn't healed is that Wolfsbane oil that was put into the accelerant." Harry told Derek grimly. "There's remains of it stuck in the folds of the burns weakening him, along with the fact he inhaled the Wolfsbane smoke…he ended up comatose, with nobody thinking of kick-starting his healing he remained weak. He had felt everything surrounding him for six years…Derek, without being able to move a damn muscle."

Derek was unable to meet Harry's gaze, instead, he stared at the marble counter in front of him, clenching and unclenching his hands feeling utterly useless.

"The hunters have been here the entire time, they took pleasure in visiting your Uncle while he was utterly helpless. The only reason they didn't kill him was that they took enjoyment out of his predicament." Harry added.

Derek inhaled sharply, choking wordlessly.

"His nurse…Jennifer is a hunter, she had been injecting Wolfsbane into him for the past four months ever since he showed small signs of coming out of his coma." Harry added, giving it to Derek straight. "She's been trying to control him like a dog, using a whistle to get him to return to the hospital, rewarding him by letting him go out during the full moon and any other night she felt like being 'kind' enough."

Derek was unable to control the shift, his eyes and claws emerging snarling in fury as he began to pace the kitchen like a trapped animal.

"He was turning feral, but there was a part of Peter that clung on, the sheer need for vengeance against those who had decimated his pack was so strong that he managed to plot and plan enough that it took root in his wolf mind…especially after he realized what he has done to his own niece." Harry said quietly, drinking some of his coffee before taking a deep breath and continuing, "He had just been dozed with a higher quality of Wolfsbane and let out for the first time when his wolf sensed an Alpha on his territory, the timing is much too suspicious for my liking. His wolf reacted with violence, its mind consumed by the fire, it wasn't until he received the Alpha powers that the Wolfsbane's hold was loosened, and Peter realized what had happened. He went on a rampage through the territory overcome with grief and horror at what he did. In his feral state, there were times when he didn't even remember what happened to her. Then he was dosed again, but this time the thirst for revenge was greater still."

Derek stopped pacing, his Beta shift fading as he stood there brokenly.

"He bit Scott then, sensing weakness in the boy, his Asthma, and that he could use being a wolf to make him stronger. He also sensed Stiles spark, which is a surprise considering he shouldn't have." Harry stated, not realizing he had given Stiles secret away until it was too late. "Peter knew he was stronger how he was than he would be as a wolf, so Peter's wolf didn't even consider it."

Derek felt sick to his stomach listening to all this, horrified to the core.

"The fact your sister was in the state she was in, is very telling, I believe the hunters are trying to finish what Kate started all those years ago. They never left Beacon Hills, Derek, they've been waiting for this, to pull you both back in, to finish the Hale dynasty altogether. Their confusion on who the hell the Alpha is must be feigned unless there are two separate hunter fractions with two different goals in mind. They're playing you, this was probably all a game to them." Harry informed him. "I'd need to get my hands on Jennifer to be sure though, but this is very intricately designed, it smells of Argent." from what he knew most hunters were unorganized, sloppy, just killed werewolves when they could…but the fires…this is was as he said intricate, it was patient and methodical.

"So…Peter isn't to blame?" Derek murmured weakly.

"No, he may have been the instrument used…but ultimately it was Jennifer who got the ball rolling for all this to happen." Harry said softly, "The Wolfsbane needs to be flushed from his system, a healer will suggest the best way to go about it. One that's easiest on Peter, right now he's in a Dreamless sleep, he needs the rest without the nightmares. Six years may have past, but to Peter, the nightmares are still ever-present, he hasn't had a chance to grieve for what he lost."

"You've seen all his memories?" Derek sat back down, his question hesitant.

"No," Harry explained immediately, "I'd have been in there for a significantly longer period of time if that was the case. It's like clips, movie clips, trailers if you will, you see bits and pieces, not the entire thing. The more focused you are the longer the memories you see last if there is anything to actually last. I didn't go past the six years, although I did see some memories of the earlier years, things that Peter dwells on tries to remember fondly in his dreams mostly."

"He can be fixed?" it was a statement mixed in with a question. When someone was feral in his experience the only thing they could do was kill them. To prevent exposure, and honestly, it was the humane thing to do, when you go feral it's only a rabid wolf left the human side is completely gone.

"It will take a few potions and probably a few months but yes," Harry told him, finishing off his cooling coffee in two gulps. "Unfortunately, he may never be the same man you knew. Although I have to wonder if he's always been so…." pondering on the right word, "Ambitious." some of his thoughts were quite…loud, he had his thoughts on Beacon Hills, whether it was the result of the fire and his mind or not Harry wasn't sure.

"Uncle Peter was always ambitious," Derek said wryly, "He could manipulate anyone around him, it was quite a sight to see, and his sarcasm when it wasn't directed at you was quite hilarious." in fact Stiles sort of reminded him of Peter actually, none more so than when Stiles and McCall got him arrested for his sisters murder. The way he spoke to his father, that had been a blast from the past.

"As it often tends to be," Harry nodded his understanding, lips twitching in amusement, "Except for those who have a tendency to take what was said to heart."

"Thank you," Derek whispered, "I know I haven't said it before and should have…but thank you for everything you've done for us." and he knew regardless of whether Harry's heartbeat remained steady, when he said he'd do it for anyone in need, he knew it wasn't true. From the way his eyes darkened in anger, he believed he wouldn't even piss on Kate Argent if she was on fire.

"You're more than welcome, Derek," Harry said, squeezing his shoulder, automatically cupping the back of his neck before dropping it back down.

Derek meanwhile froze at the contact, there was little doubt Harry knew exactly what that contact meant to a werewolf.

Harry was distracted by the pinging of his Floo Network. "Excuse me, the kitchen is fully stocked, help yourself, there's plenty of meat in the fridge to have sandwiches with," he said absently as he headed for the door.

Ignoring his own grumbling stomach, he hadn't eaten since breakfast after all.

"Mr. Potter?" the face in the fire questioned.

"I am," Harry informed him.

"I'm told you're in need of my expertise? My name is Healer James Preston, the president informed me that you wished to see me?"

"Yes, I do, I'll let the wards down so you can come through, the President has my Floo address," Harry said, as always being cautious not to reveal his Floo address even under a secure Floo connection, all networks were in MACUSA.

\--------------------------------0

Ten minutes later, Harry was finally finished giving a basic rundown of the situation and everything he could on Peter while the healer stood in the guest room wand moving swiftly over Peter doing a very advanced diagnosis that was specifically for werewolves. Never revealing anything personal about him, he'd never do that kind of disservice.

"I see," James nodded that he understood as he slowly lowered his arm, parchment zooming out of the wand as the door opened.

"Derek this is James Preston, a healer, he will be able to give us the best advice on how to heal your uncle. Healer Preston, this is your patient's nephew, Derek Hale." Harry introduced them, accepting the sandwich that was given to him and the bottle of soda with a surprised smile. "Is there more showing that's concerning than what my diagnosis observed?"

"All of this is alarming," the healer stated, pocketing his wand under the curious state of Mr. Hale. "He needs the Purgo potion, to cleanse him, it will remove all and every trace of the Wolfsbane both in the wounds and the full concentrated oil that's been pumped into his veins. The wounds he's suffered should begin to fade, quite quickly after that."

Harry nodded it was something he'd planned actually.

"He will need six doses of the potion, one every six hours," removing his wand, writing out the prescribed potions on the pad he summoned from his bag. "He will feel weak during the purge, but afterward his healing should speed up and have him in full health within an hour, as long as he eats."

"He will sweat a great deal, be hotter than normal, and more than likely have a very restless night." the healer added speaking to Derek, "It could include involuntary spasming and even uncontrollable shifting, from the full shift or just his claws, everyone reacts differently."

Derek once again felt surprised, this time that the healer was blatantly talking to him, telling him how it was going to be. Then again, Harry knew potions, would know how things would go, and obviously, this Healer understood he was completely in the dark. It made him feel more in control not being ignorant of what was going on. Not that Harry left him feeling that way, he probably would have discussed it afterward, of that he was certain. He gave him a nod that he understood.

"And for the mental trauma?" Harry questioned grimly, getting to what he felt was the heart of the matter.

"That requires the Coalesco draught," the Healer informed them, using its true name as they tended to do. "That will take a significantly longer period of time. From the first dose, he will feel clearer, clear-headed, he will need to take the draught for seven days, a dose in the morning and at night."

"I assume they can't be taken at the same time," Harry stated, already knowing the answer, one was a bloody purging potion, after all, it would just purge the potion from his system.

"It cannot, you are best giving him the Purgo potion tonight, it will help with his mind healing along with the Coalesco draught," James informed them seriously. "Now here's the prescription, you may go to an apothecary but personally I believe you're best going to an independent brewer, it will guarantee superior potions."

"I'm going to assume you already have one in mind?" Harry said with an amused gleam in his green eyes. Money didn't matter to him, he had more than enough to last him twenty lifetimes. He'd never go for substandard potions that apothecary's sold, and he knew those potions weren't easily brewed, and it would take him time, he just did not have. So he'd always intended to get the potions from an independent brewer, he had two he usually dealt with when it came to some potions - mostly he brewed his own potions though.

"I do, Potions Mistress Selena Hardwick," James replied professionally, "She adheres to the strict regulations that come with potions of a healing nature, regularly donates to clinic's when its close to the time where they would need to be discarded. She comes highly recommended by both MACUSA and myself."

"Does she have a shop or does she work out of her home?" Harry queried, folding the prescription paper and placing it in his pocket.

"Both I believe, here are her addresses and coordinates," withdrawing a business card from his bag. "You will receive my bill in a few days, if anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to get in touch, my Floo address is on the back of my prescription paperwork."

"Thank you," Harry said agreeably, giving a curt nod, and with that the Healer Apparated away.

"Why does he need a stick to perform magic?" Derek asked suddenly.

"Bloody hell," Harry jumped yet again, "What is wrong with me today?" he grumbled, vexed at the fact he was so easily startled, it probably had to do with the bloody smash against the wall in all likelihood. That and his magic was more interested in dealing with any injuries he had small as they may be. Moving a chair closer to Peter, just so the werewolf would know he wasn't alone.

Breathing deeply, he munched on the roast beef sandwiches that Derek had made, "Alright, this is brilliant, I need to steal the recipe from you," Harry groaned appreciatively, licking his lips, he was so intent on enjoying the sandwich that he didn't see Derek's ears going red but he was very appreciative of the praise indeed.

Derek settled at the bottom of the bed his Uncle was using, feeling the need to be close to family.

"Some wizards are capable of Wandless magic, others aren't, just like some werewolves are capable of the full transformation and others aren't apparently," Harry informed him. Telling the truth, strictly speaking, never informing Derek just how rare the ability was, even here in the states with a vaster collection of wizards and witches. "I do wish to see if you would be capable of it, that's if you stay here during the Full Moon,"

Derek stared at him enquiringly.

"Teddy will be returning for the Full Moon, he'd love to talk to you, he's been dying to meet one of your kind of Lycans," Harry explained around the lump in his cheek from half-chewed food. "He begged me to let him see or speak to Alpha Satomi, he's got a curiosity streak a mile wide, much like Stiles, although he isn't quite as…loud as Stiles when it came to getting answers, but with his ADHD it's hardly surprising that Stiles' mouth can run away with him." fondness in his voice. He'd never blame Stiles for something that wasn't his fault, plus having a best friend who was the same without the ADHD…well he was used to it. Finally swallowing down the last of his sandwich, damn it had been good, he definitely had to get the recipe from Derek. Here he'd been thinking the guy didn't know how to cook, perhaps that had been presumptuous of him.

Derek just nodded his own mouth full.

"However, if you do not wish to deal with two teenager werewolves who are very much different to your kind, you don't have to stay. I won't hold it against you, all I ask though, is that you be careful, right now there are hunters converging on Beacon Hills like bloodhounds. Once Argent has been caught and questioned, we can bring in the other hunters and deal with them. But until I have the go ahead, I really would prefer you to be cautious and careful." Harry explained, taking the empty plate from Derek placing it atop of his own, before banishing both to the sink.

"I'll stay," Derek agreed, actually very curious to meet Teddy and perhaps Jimmy, if he remembered the name right.

"Good," Harry said relieved, his green eyes glowed showing his relief, "Now I need to go and get the potions for your Uncle, I shouldn't be longer than ten-fifteen minutes," summoning his chequebook, they could finally start getting Peter back to rights, and by tonight hopefully he'd have the go-ahead to capture Kate Argent. He could hardly wait, Harry thought vindictively. Afterward, he'd definitely get Jennifer as well, find out everything that's going on and whether his assumption about the hunters was right or not.

"I should pay for it," Derek insisted suddenly.

"Our money is different from yours, we use Galleons, Sickles and Knuts," Harry said, lips twitching, "It actually costs to transfer Dollars to wizarding coin, so most wizards and witches don't bother doing it. It's mere pocket change to me, I've already got a pile of American Dollars for when I need to use it so I don't need more." he was merely waiting for the day that truck of Stiles' finally breaks down so he could have it fully fixed for him. That or actually doing it for his birthday.

Kneeling down Harry cupped the side of Peter's neck, "I'll be back with the potions you need soon enough," giving his neck a gentle squeeze, he didn't care that Peter was actually an Alpha, he'd been only a few years older than Derek when he lost everything and ended up in a Coma. Physically he may have aged, but mentally he most certainly hadn't although the trauma may have sobered him up and make him less likely to act out in a way most teenagers did.

Standing back up he Apparated away.

Derek just stared at where Harry had been, wondering if the wizard even knew he was acting like an Alpha.

He wouldn't put it past Harry to know, he'd wait and see how he was with Teddy and Jimmy.

Shaking off his thoughts, he went to the library, looking for a book on the different types of lycanthrope, and wasn't surprised when he found a load of them. Harry no doubt had researched endlessly when he stumbled upon one during his encounter with Alpha Satomi. Instead of staying in the library, he felt the need to return to Peter, trying to make up for his mistakes, knowing nothing he did would be enough. He and Laura had left Peter alone, vulnerable, and there had been hunters there laughing at him the entire time. It made him feel so cold, made his stomach shrink in and on itself.

Nobody deserved that, least of all his Uncle Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will a blood test done on Peter unveil the presumed dead Cora Hale? Teddy/Cora? Or will Cora be in my Derek/Harry story? It's doable either way but I do want only 1 of them to contain Cora Hale :D I don't want the stories to be too similar that would just be boring although some similarities are inevitable I suppose. It's why there's not going to be a Teddy in my other story :) will Scott try to kill Peter while he's vulnerable? and have Derek with yet more guilt on his shoulders that will perhaps make him think before spewing nonsense? Will Derek become the Alpha while Peter recuperates? or will he 'evolve' during the full moon and become one in his own right after transforming? Or will it happen in a year or so? closer to when 'Scott' became a true alpha in the series? After the whole Alpha pack? Although there's no guarantee there will be much of an Alpha pack...with Harry, a recovered Peter...and Derek - a wizard, a left hand what a combo ;) but I best not make it too easy for them right? :) I also assume you want Boyd, Erica and Issac to be Derek's Beta's still?


	12. Chapter 12

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 12

Harry Apparated back into his home, two wooden boxes clutched to his chest held tightly with his arm and his hand wrapped around the bottom. With carved in instructions on the usage of the potion on the lid easily done with a spell. He immediately made his way from the living room and up to the room Peter was currently situated in for the moment. Harry was still processing everything he'd seen in Peter Hales mind. To say he was ambitious was dead on, a little bit too ambitious if Harry was honest with himself. The thoughts he'd had after the fire…well, it was concerning, to say the least. It may have been results of the trauma talking, what was more troubling was there had been a presence in Peter's mind not his own the first few days at the hospital.

"Hey," Harry said, placing both boxes down on the bed, "I'm going to give him the potion now, it's best if someone stays here, makes sure to help him. I need to go out again, but I won't be longer than an hour…will you be willing to help him?"

Derek nodded curtly, putting the book closed down, he hadn't read much of it, unlike his kind, it seemed as though who had written this particular book was extremely prejudice. They had all but called them monsters, and that wasn't something he could tolerate. He hadn't even got past the first chapter, he'd spent most of his time growling or shifting at the audacity of the Author. He'd wanted to hunt the fucker down and truly give him something to be afraid of. He might not know Teddy but he doubted very much that he was a monster.

"The instructions are on the box, not that you'll need to worry yourself over it, I'll be back before he's due his second dose," Harry explained as he opened it, the potion was milky white with flecks of black floating around in the concoction. Closing the lid leaving the remaining five ensconced in the dark, he yanked off the stopper wax and all, and gently pried open Peter's mouth and slowly fed him the potion. "Our medicine works significantly faster than normal medication, your metabolism rates will not make it disappear out of his bloodstream faster,"

Derek watched Harry work and saw that he was quite correct, as beads of sweat were already gathering at his Uncle's temples. Harry's magic was quite fascinating to observe, both the…potions as he'd called them and the actual magic. Which he observed also, as a large basin and face clothes and towels floated through the still open door and float over to the table on the other side. The lamp which had previously been on the table now on the floor in the corner of the room.

Pouring cold water into the basin, he nodded absently, there, that was it, he'd be fine until he returned.

"If you need anything to eat, just help yourself, I don't mind," Harry explained as Derek dipped the face cloth into the basin an wiped Peter's forehead, removing the build-up of sweat. He could see the guilt in every facet of Derek's character, learning everything that had happened truly cemented that guilt. Squeezing both their necks absently, "I'll be back soon," scent marking them, much like he did with Teddy, before backing away and Apparating.

"If you can hear me, Uncle Peter, I'm so sorry," Derek whispered, incapable of actually saying the words any louder. "Laura…Laura said they wouldn't come after you, that you'd be safe in the hospital, that we couldn't take you with us because it would give away our location and that we wouldn't know what to do with you. Or how to help you." sounding at that moment every bit sixteen-year-old who had lost his family in flames, not the hardened twenty-one year old he was. He's been too full of guilt to argue with Laura, had followed where she led, even if he didn't agree with it. It wasn't his place to argue with his Alpha, he was a Beta, and honestly, part of him had been broken since that night, Peter wasn't the only one who hadn't had a chance to grieve. To grieve he'd have to stop blaming himself, and for the first time since that night, he was beginning to see he wasn't completely at fault.

The next forty-five minutes was hectic, to say the least when the healer said he'd sweat a lot he hadn't been kidding. The bed was saturated with sweat, the pajamas, even the duvet was soaked through. The smell was utterly horrendous, and Derek held his breath as much as he possibly could when he could. Trying and failing to help him, when more just replaced it after he was just barely finished.

Derek heard Harry returning, heard the sound of a body hitting the floor, he was about move, concerned. Only to hear the familiar sound of Harry's footsteps coming up the stairs.

Harry opened the door and his nose screwed up at the smell, breathing out a puff of air as if he could make the smell disappear from his nose. Flicking his hand, the entire room smelt refreshed, like lemons and orange, just subtle hints. Then Harry moved over and opened the window letting in fresh air.

"You have the nurse here," Derek stated, finally getting a sniff of the woman's scent on Harry now that the smell of sweat wasn't overwhelming his delicate nose.

"I do," Harry confirmed as he cleaned up the bed and Peter, removing all and every trace of sweat. The used towels and face clothes were banished to the laundry room, and new ones were summoned. "It will calm down, the first dose is always the worst," he added absently, noticing that Peter's burns were beginning to fade a little. By this time tomorrow, the worst of the scars would be gone as the sweat literally bit by bit removed the Wolfsbane from his system.

"Has he had anything to drink yet?" Harry asked, "It's extremely important to increase his intake with so much of his bodily fluid being exuded." although truly it wasn't the right term, exuded meant sweating slowly from a gland or pore. Harry filled up a glass when Derek shook his head and began to slowly help him drink. The second glass he poured was directed straight into his stomach, he would need to do it a great many times in the hours to come. Werewolf or not, he could still get dehydrated, in fact, he probably already was. He wasn't a healer, he couldn't put Peter onto an IV drip, he didn't have the necessary items, although he could get them if he thought he needed to. He would withdraw some blood from Peter to do a blood workup before he gave him his next potion. It would give him a better idea of what Peter needed, he should have asked the Healer to do it before he left really.

Without the overwhelming smell lingering around, Derek was able to relax a little, Harry had left without a word, returning to the hunter. He ventured out of the room, following Harry's scent. He wasn't in the sitting room or the kitchen, in fact, there was a lower level, a basement he hadn't known was there. He stood in the doorway, staring at it as if it had personally offended him. He didn't know whether to go down there or not, he wasn't sure he'd wanted to see what was down there. His worst thoughts were a torture chamber, his easier thoughts just a damp basement where he was going to hold her until he got the answers he wanted.

Some of those questions he already knew the answer to.

Derek squared his shoulders and opened the door, he wanted answers too, no matter what was in there Harry had helped him more than he could ever repay him. Plus this was a hunter, not some innocent if anyone deserved to feel what they put every Were through, it was them. If it was up to him he would ensure each and every hunter was killed so nobody went through what he did. No other pack lost members due to their zealot bloodlust.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Harry asked, glancing up at Derek no emotion showing on his face.

Derek was able to see perfectly, the room was empty except two tables and an additional cupboard to the right. Then there was the chair that the nurse/hunter was tied to. No torture chamber, nothing eerie about it, although humans probably would disagree. Humans tended to be squeamish about dark enclosed places. While Derek felt almost at home in the space, he'd been coming down to basements on the full moon for many a moon until he gained and regained control.

Derek blinked as sudden light blinked into existence, shielding his eyes from the sudden glare, seeing black spots momentarily. "I need to hear it," Derek stated sharply, arms crossed as he came down the four steps and fully into the basement. This place didn't smell used, like at all, he wondered just how good Teddy's control was that he didn't need to come down here. He was almost envious really if he was in school he had to be between fifteen to eighteen years old…especially if he was good friends with Stiles. He'd had so much trouble at that age, hormones was a bitch.

Harry ignored the hunter stirring, staring pensively at Derek, who began to fear that Harry would tell him to leave. He wasn't sure he'd have it in him to defy Harry, each day that ticked by, he felt more drawn to him, as if Harry was truly his Alpha, which made no sense, a wizard or not, he was still not a werewolf, it should be impossible for this sort of bond to be forming…unless…unless he was bound to an Alpha, soul mates, soul bonded, he didn't know everything about him…for all he knew Harry may well have had a partner in the past who had been an Alpha.

"Nobody deserves it more, but can you hear it without killing her?" Harry asked, solemnly. "Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't blame you, but Death is too good for the likes of them."

"One less hunter in the world," Derek scoffed an angry look on his face.

"True, then simply demand your rights as defacto Alpha of the Hale pack, due to your Uncle's incapacitated state," Harry shrugged, "The right to kill those who harmed innocents, who killed your pack without provocation."

Jennifer groaned again, blinking blearily, before stiffening as she became aware of her current predicament.

"They've been trained to get out of these types of situations from the age of eighteen, that's if she's part of a hunter family," Derek informed Harry, talking too low for the hunter to hear.

"It's magically impossible for that to happen," Harry chuckled under his breath, watching her squirm, taking a great deal of vindictive pleasure out of it, considering all she'd done to Peter.

The panic in the hunter increased as she realized the futility of her struggles. There was absolutely no give in the ropes tying him to the chair. Breathing a little panicky, she looked around the room only to realize for the first time that she wasn't alone. She couldn't remember what happened, the last thing she remembered was being at home, confused as to why nobody at the hospital remembered Hale being there for the past few months. She reckoned he had used the Alpha's claws. She'd immediately tried to get in touch with a few of her fellow hunters, unfortunately, they were out of range, probably hunting for the Alpha. She'd gone and cleared out her locker and made her way home, ditching her shift, packing everything she could, ready to get out of there. She didn't know how Hale had gotten so damn healed so soon and not gone feral, either way, she knew if he was better then her experiment was a colossal failure. He would be coming for her, she had to cover her own scent and get out of there now. Then that was the last thing she remembered.

"Good, you're awake," Harry said without a hint of emotion, regarding like she was a piece of meat he wanted to figure out how to best cook. "I was getting bored," he drawled, "So, do you want to hear how this is going to go or get straight to it?" a smirk tugging at his lips, she didn't need to know he had no intentions of touching her, much.

Jennifer's pulse kicked up a notch, she began to realize she wouldn't get out of this alive. There was only one alternative, get them to kill her quickly, she didn't want to betray her family.

"So you're Derek Hale," Jennifer taunted, "Kate was right, you grew up in all the right places."

Derek roared flashing his blue eyes at the hunter, claws unleashed ready to kill her where she sat bound to the chair.

Harry immediately gripped Derek's neck, squeezing firmly, helping the werewolf regain control of himself. This confirmed something that Harry had suspected, Kate had obviously caught him unawares in the Hale house and it had led to a confrontation. As Derek shifted back, he noticed the fear and irritated disappointment on the hunters face. Bearing his fangs at her a growl ripping through his throat, intimidating her, furious that she'd almost got what she wanted, suicide by using him.

"So you knew about her Predilections," Harry retorted, letting go of Derek he got into her face, hands on either side of the chair, very close but not touching the hunter, "So that either makes you someone with similar taste…or extremely close to Kate Argent. I'm fairly sure that she doesn't go around bragging about the fact she raped underage teenagers, statutory rape is an automatic four-year sentence, a felony that's just in California, the sentences are harsher in some other states."

Jennifer's breathing hitched upon hearing Kate's name, her worrying increasing twofold.

"That is the least of her worries though, seventy-nine counts of murder is the tally so far if I was a betting man I'd say there are more out there…" Harry watched her closely, watching her pale drastically, the small smattering of freckles she had standing stark against her pale face.

"If you think I'll betray her…" Jennifer hissed out, "Think again!" her eyes still alight with fear she refused to succumb to.

"Betray her?" Harry asked amused, "Oh, no, her time will come, and I won't need you to help me get my hands on her, trust me."

Struggling yet again, her wrists red outlined from her skin rubbing against her bindings. "Then why am I here?" she bit out letting out an enraged shriek, twisting her arms furiously, angry beyond words that she couldn't get the restraints off after all that training.

"Oh, that," Harry exclaimed as if the thought had never occurred to him, "Well that's easy, answers."

"Killing me won't matter, you filthy mongrels will pay," Jennifer insisted wildly, eyes gleaming with fervent conviction. "They'll kill you, I won't tell you a damn thing,"

"They can try," Harry said, nodding his head as if acknowledging her threat.

Derek watched the byplay between the hunter and Harry. Able to smell the amusement pouring off Harry in waves. Although when she called them 'Mongrels' his scent swiftly changed to a violent outburst of anger, but his face never changed. Derek would never have guessed he'd been affected by the words at all. He wondered how often Harry did something like this.

He watched Harry cock his head upwards for a moment, causing Derek's gaze to follow, wondering what had caught Harry's attention. He couldn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary.

Harry removed a bottle of water from his pocket and placed it directly in the hunters' line of sight on the floor. With utterly no way for her to get it, bound as she was. He gave her a vicious smirk, before throwing a wave before climbing back up the steps. He muffled his sniggers at her furious scream, and refrained from listening to her "LET ME GO!" and "You'll PAY for TH-" then as soon as they passed the doorway the noise ceased completely.

"Can you hear anything?" Harry asked curiously as he continued walking with purpose towards the living room.

"No, the sound cut off as soon as I stepped over the threshold," Derek admitted, still throwing looks over his shoulder sounding extremely confused.

"So silencing spells work even against your hearing…good to know," Harry said wryly, as he entered his living room to find Donovan in the fireplace.

"Hey, President Donovan, meet Derek Hale, Derek, meet the president of MACUSA, that stands for the Magical Congress of the United States of America." He added purely for Derek's benefit. "The meeting didn't last long," he questioned suspiciously, "So it either went very well…or badly."

"Both," the president admitted wryly.

Harry moved to sit down, staring at the face in the fire pensively, idly tapping his fingers against the edge of the chair. "Alright, give it to me," he stated, giving him his full undivided attention.

"They don't want to use the Death Penalty, at least not right away," Donovan informed them, "The list of her crimes…its sickening, I've never seen the council agree unanimously or so quickly before in my entire experience as both a member and as the President."

"They want her in prison," Harry grumbled, "I'd prefer to just bloody kill her and give her victims, those who survived anyway, peace once and for all."

"There is a way, it's in the charter, the one written by Alpha Dexter Peter Hale, when they made the agreement between us and them, he made it so that they were ultimately responsible for anyone who went against members of the packs be it human or magical. If they had proof of the person's innocence…then they could be executed where they stand and we on a whole cannot interfere or arrest them for said death. It's within there rights, and since it was never changed…it cannot be contested until after the fact. Not that I think anyone would frankly speaking." Donovan informed them, sounding every bit a Horned Serpent at the moment.

"I would prefer the execution took place in a safe and secure building, say MACUSA, I don't want humans getting involved. Accidentally or in an attempt to aid her, there has been enough death on her account, directly or indirectly." Harry informed him.

Donovan glanced at the doorway where Derek Hale stood, stiff as a board, looking extremely angry, or perhaps that was his usual countenance. Given what he had been through, he wasn't surprised that he would feel this way, especially discussing the woman who had wrecked his entire life. "Then bring her in, the execution will have to wait a few days…we need to question her, we want to know everything she knows about the supernatural world, and who else is in cahoots with her. This…this should not have happened, this happened to magical creatures, we want justice and answers."

"And I guess a lot of jobs will be coming in for me then," Harry stated, rolling his shoulders, green eyes gleaming determinedly.

"If she reveals anything worth pursuing further, correct," the president grinned at Harry in amusement, knowing without Harry showing it, that he was looking forward to it.

"Good, send me the warrant through, I'll pick her up soon enough," Harry told him, "And Dentlin, thank you," he added sincerely.

"Anytime," Dentlin replied quietly, "I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Hale, please be assured we are going to do everything we can to get justice for not just your family but everyone affected."

"Thank you," Derek replied, his face never faltering from the 'I'm going to kill you look' he currently supported. Talking or even thinking about Kate Argent was enough to sour his mood, well, more than, his violent thoughts and feelings reflecting in his narrowed eyes gleaming coldly.

"I'll let you go, Dentlin," Harry said, about to stand up, only to see the presidents eyes narrow in on him speculatively.

"What are you up to? You're already questioning someone aren't you?" the president stated, and it was most definitely not an accusation. It definitely wasn't Harry's sudden desire to go after Kate Argent, he wouldn't go until he had the warrant in his hand, which he needed once he had the woman at MACUSA.

"It's not directly involved with the cases, yet, more to do with what's been happening since, to Peter Hale," Harry revealed, disgust coating his voice, revealing how utterly distasteful he felt the entire thing was.

"Do me a favor? Record the conversation, it's less for us to have to slog through, you know we only have five interrogators at the moment, two work part-time." Donovan requested, although if he wished he could have the Aurors involved, but he wanted only so many involved so that all information was shared and known between those in the case, catching information that would otherwise slip under the radar.

"I don't have a problem taking over the interrogations on my own," Harry informed him immediately, "Plus I know the case word for word, I'll know best what questions to ask them. I'll need the night of the Full Moon and the day after off,"

"As always," Donovan nodded the flames sparking around his face. Very well aware of the fact Harry never worked the night or the day after the Full Moon, using that time to spend with his son, if Teddy was home for the duration.

"Then I'll question them here then transport them to MACUSA afterward," Harry stated, "Just get me the names and the warrants,"

"What has the council worried, is the fact she had help, she was exposing the supernatural world to outsiders…perhaps on a daily basis." Donovan told Harry, "We need to make sure we get them all."

"And that is an automatic death sentence," Harry pointed out, "I'm surprised they didn't just give the agreement right there and then," amazement flashing over his features. MACUSA feared being found above all else, and still held a strict sentence over those who exposed the magical world, even with the Obliviation spell.

"Believe me, that was ninety percent of their internal struggling, make no mistake," Donovan, his head twitched slightly, "I have to go, I am being told I have yet another meeting to attend…I'll be in touch soon, and I'll send the warrant for Kate Argent with a House-Elf in a few minutes."

"Thanks," Harry said, slumping back down onto the chair, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He had hoped the Ministry would deal with this without forcing Derek or Peter's hand, Derek was still traumatized by what she had done. He wasn't even sure Derek had it in him to kill her if given the opportunity. Peter's mental recovery could be hindered by him killing, although it may speed it up. Remind him of his pack life, as the left hand, the fact he was getting the revenge he actually wants. Oh, Harry had no doubt Peter had it in him to kill Kate Argent, his thoughts had focused on the bitch since he began wakening up.

That and Jennifer.

Thinking of her, had him standing back up, patting his pocket absently, nodding when he felt the glass vial.

"It sounds as though you're going after all the hunters and their accomplices," Derek spoke pensively, a smidgen of hope showing through. The thought of actually being safe, and not having to watch his back was a novel thought, one he'd never contemplated before.

"We are," Harry stated, gesturing for Derek to follow him as he made his way back to the basement, which he only used as a Potions Lab, "For too long they've gotten away with cold-blooded murder, there's already a division in MACUSA to police werewolves, to ensure they are all sticking to the law, and helping those who need us, including any werewolf going feral. But those are our werewolves, I wish to implement your kind too, getting rid of all the damn No-Maj hunters altogether. And no witch or wizard can branch out and kill indiscriminatingly, they swear a Vow on their magic to do all they can to help, which means to kill a werewolf for no reason would be the death of them before they can actually fire the spell,"

"It's odd to think that no wizard or witch has ever encountered 'my kind of werewolf' as you put it," Derek pointed out.

"Not really," Harry explained standing at the door, "Most wizards don't even know your kind exist, there are only a few books on your kind of Lycanthrope altogether. I had a great deal of difficulty hunting them down. It wasn't until Satomi suggested a particular bookstore that I had any luck. You have a greater…ability of hiding in plain sight, even during the Full Moon once you gain control. Until a few decades ago, such a thing wasn't possible for our werewolves," Harry explained patiently to Derek.

"Why?" Derek's brow furrowed even deeper, giving him an even more 'badass' vide.

"When I explained they turned into actual wolves and lost their humanity for the entire duration of the Full Moon I wasn't exaggerating. There is no choice of control, of calming down and reverting back to human form. The wolf takes over, it hunts, it eats and enjoys its freedom doing what comes naturally to a wild animal." Harry informed him, "Decades ago, a potion was created that was mostly Wolfsbane liquefied drank the week leading up to the Full Moon…allowed the human mind to remain when the transformation occurred and for the whole night."

Derek winced, "Wouldn't that kill them?" who in their right mind allowed a werewolf to ingest Wolfsbane?

"Your kind reacts more negatively towards aconite, plus the potion makes it mildly safer," Harry added, smiling in sympathy. "It would eventually wear down on the werewolf though, cause all sorts of internal problems. I created another potion, along with three others helping, Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, and Fleur Delacour. This potion is one hundred percent safe, and actually cuts down the pain felt the morning after the Full Moon." Harry had refused to give Teddy such a harmful potion, and between Fleur (whose husband was affected) Hermione and Luna who always want to help, and him, they'd had two potential potions written down and ready for testing within three months. "I know it's difficult to comprehend the difference, but you'll see for yourself," he added with a wicked grin.

It was quickly wiped off his face though as he turned to face the door, opening it, and stepping back inside.

Back into listening to her cursing and demanding to be let go. Her voice was hoarse indicating that she'd been at this for quite some time.

"Scream all you like, nobody can hear you, there's nothing around for miles," Harry said idly. "Answer my questions, I'll give you the water, don't answer them…well you will," he added confidently, and he exuded it with every step he took, full of poise and determined confidence. Not only did he have Kate Argent to collect, he would need to get Teddy to give him Jimmy's parents number so he could call them.

Derek sat on the step, watching the scene before him content to remain quiet while his mind mulled through everything he'd learned today.

And tonight wasn't even over.

Two floors above, Peter despite the potion was able to hear everything going on, and his brilliant, brilliant mind was ticking away with all sorts of plans and ideas. Despite not yet having the potion to help him, his mind was once again feeling clearer than it had in six years. Clearer than even when Harry had visited him for a few hours.

As an Alpha the silencing spells weren't so 'silencing' for him, an Alpha, who had much superior hearing than a Beta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the next chapter for you all to enjoy! BUT I do need to update a few of my HP stories :D just wondering between Growing Legacy or Willing, what do you guys think? Will Kate Argent manage to get one over Harry? She hasn't survived this long without being able to protect herself after all :D it would be quite a twist I must admit but is it doable? Without Harry seeming weak? Since that's definitely NOT what I'm going for in this story ;) Then again werewolves aren't weak but when hunters around they definitely seem it. So will Jennifer be an unknown Argent? Raised by a fanatic hunter mother who slept with Gerard Argent? and her being the 'actual' head of the family? Will we see a redeemed Victoria Argent who realizes she's been manipulated for decades by Gerard Argent or is that too cliched? I've not read many Teen Wolf stories so I'm not quite in a position to say what's common for these sorts of stories! Although considering Peter is the Alpha there's no way Allison will ever be part of the Hale pack...the way it's going even Scott might not be! he's stupid enough to choose the Argents over the Hales...the question is what would have to happen to make Scott actually bloody listen and understand? not that it will happen for a long time and he will be essentially the 'Omega' of the pack I think what do you think? Read and Review please


	13. Chapter 13

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 13

Derek watched Harry closely, eyes still blue, following every move he made. Hearing whispered words as he worked behind Jennifer so the hunter couldn't see him perform magic. The quill and old-fashioned parchment were poised at the ready, just like it had been when he had given his own interview. When he moved away, it began to scribble on the paper, the smell of the black ink and the scratching of the quill distracting enough that he was momentarily confused as to where Harry had gone. Hearing shuffling around in the cupboard, he relaxed again. Inhaling sharply, trying to smell something, anything, but as always there weren't many scents in Harry's home. There was no trace of anything on the vial he brought out.

It seemed as though Harry was through messing around, as he wrapped his hand round her hair, popping the lid with the other, drawing her head back. Not reacting to her screaming obscenities at him, merely tightened his hold so much so that the hunter couldn't even twitch without it causing her immense pain. Derek felt nothing but satisfaction at the scene in front of him, except curiosity, the potion he had drunk to help heal him ten times quicker than his own healing, had smelt atrocious and smelt even worse. Yet this potion had no discernable smell whatsoever. Even water smelt, including drinking water, so this potion truly piqued his interest.

Harry held tightly to her, locking her jaw while it was open so she couldn't close it, and tipped the vial slightly, letting only droplets fall out, one at a time until the third fell and he righted the vial once more. Letting her go, absently undoing the spell locking her so she could close it once more. He replaced the lid, sealing it closed once more, placing it on the table, he turned back to face her waiting patiently.

"What is it?" Derek asked, watching the hunter become docile before his very eyes, her fight left her completely, eyes glazed over, she was drugged. He sat up straighter, feeling extremely wary despite himself, especially considering there was no scent on it, no way to identify it.

Harry quirked his lips a little, the first show of emotion yet, "It's Veritaserum, I assume you know at least a little Latin to know what it means?"

Derek shook his head, feeling inadequate, languages wasn't his strong suit.

"Truth serum," Harry explained without judgment, "It's extremely potent, I believe Muggles have tried to various degrees to create their own to some success. This one…this is the strongest truth potion created thus far, wizards cannot fight off the effects let alone normal people."

"Oh," Derek felt relieved that it wasn't something much worse, something like a hallucinogenic drug or the likes.

"What's your birth name?" Harry asked, sharply focusing on Jennifer.

"Jennifer Katharine Wright," was the dull reply, there was no heat in her voice anymore.

"What are your parents' names?"

Derek arched an eyebrow, wondering why he was asking those sort of questions, her parents' names were probably worthless, he'd never heard of Wright's, the chances of them being family hunters was slim to nothing.

"Genevieve Wright and Gerard Argent,"

Derek froze at the name, utterly stunned, glancing briefly at Harry to see that he wasn't even remotely surprised, he must have suspected.

"You don't have the Argent name, why?" Harry asked, wondering why, from everything he'd picked up, the family is Matriarchal. The women run the family business. So having girls opposed to boys was probably desirable to the Argent family. He had to admit that it was odd, especially for him who had entered the magical world at eleven and found that the world was Patriarchal. That's not to say he felt women were weak, far from it, he had been surrounded by strong, independent women throughout his teenage years. Fierce warriors, amazing spell casters and fabulous, smart women.

"Joan Argent forbade it, she forced her husband to relinquish any responsibility to me, and ensured that her children never found out about me,"

"You were disowned," Harry nodded his understanding, "When did you first have contact with Gerard Argent?"

"I was seven years old, I began my training,"

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, a grimace on his face, who the hell revealed the supernatural world to a seven-year-old kid? Not that there was anything wrong with knowing about the supernatural world…but the way Argent probably explained it definitely was. It's probably enough to give children nightmares. No wonder his kids were fucked up, had he done the same to Kate Argent? Was this why she was so screwed up? Was he ultimately behind it?

"How long have you been hunting?" Harry asked, returning to the questioning at hand.

"Fourteen years," Jennifer answered.

"Are you sure you want to be here for this?" Harry asked Derek in the merest whisper, "I am going to have to get very specific, and I have less than an hour to get every question answered." he couldn't afford any distractions, and hearing about families being so callously killed would rile up anyone.

 

Peter, of course, had known what Veritaserum meant, he was multilingual. Latin had been one of the first languages he had begun to learn as young boy. He had been proficient in both classical and Vulgar Latin. Classical is the most known one, Vulgar Latin was learned by the common people, and surprisingly there were many books on fascinating subjects by those so-called 'common people'. Spanish, French, and Italian had been the languages he learned in high school.

What was Harry Potter? He knew nearly every single supernatural creature out there but the man did not tick any of the boxes. He knew what sparks were, he had met one, knew Druids like the back of his own hand, he had dealt with many during the course of his life. Including the Hale Emissary/Druid, who he hadn't trusted, he had warned Talia many times, but she had trusted him. He was no mage, of that he was certain. He smelt like a predator, of electricity, of something he couldn't name and it was quite frustrating.

He had abilities that shouldn't be possible, it took a great deal of damage to take a werewolf down, to render them unconscious. Yet this man had done so without saying a word, without causing harm, the power at his disposal it must be immense. He couldn't help but find himself fascinated with the man, a desire to know everything about him.

He was going to great lengths to aid them, he couldn't help but wonder at his motivations. Six years had gone by since the fire, something that he was still struggling to get his head around. To him it felt like it had only happened a month ago, his grief was still very fresh. Although if what he was hearing was correct, this went further than just his family, werewolves had been targeted with a precision that would have impressed him if it was anything but a hunter.

The sound of the Argent name being mentioned brought him directly out of his thoughts again, from which he had once more got lost in. It happened a lot. He was unable to move, all he could do was sit and listen, stew in his own anger and frustrations and sweat. He could feel his health returning to him, in ways that gaining the Alpha powers had not. The burns tingled constantly, a sign of healing, he wasn't sure but he didn't think the burns would be there longer than a day or two at most before any sign was gone.

What happened after that…Peter did not know, but he did know he didn't want to remain bed-bound for the rest of his life. No, when and if an opportunity to get out of here arose, he would take it. He had to finish what he started, he would kill the Argents and everyone who had killed his pack.

"Was Gerard Argent behind the Hale fire?" Harry got back to asking about the Hale fire since there was no more information to be had on the other fires.

"No,"

"So it was Kate Argent who was behind it?"

"Yes,"

"Who helped her perfect the formula she uses to kill werewolves?" Harry was very consciously aware of the ticking of each second passing, and he had so many questions he still wanted answering.

"A chemistry teacher at Beacon Hills, Aiden Harris,"

"Is he a hunter?" Harry questioned, once again glancing at the time.

"No,"

"Does he know about the supernatural world?"

"No,"

Harry shifted, "So he was paid to create an accelerant?"

"No,"

Harry sighed in exasperation, "Then why did he do it?"

"He was drunk,"

A long low growl left Derek's lips as he realized a drunkard idiot was the real reason for his families demise.

Jennifer began to groan, coming around after an entire hour under Veritaserum.

"Just how exactly did your uncle find out about everything that happened?" Harry asked rounding on Derek, "He's killed people that were involved in the fire, he doesn't have my resources, hell I didn't know about this Harris…there's no way any scent remained…" why hadn't he thought of this sooner, "Step aside," Harry said, quickly making his way up the steps, going directly to the spare bedroom.

Harry began to check everything, placing the plants on the windowsill or the table beside the bed. He didn't find anything, so he began to shake each of the books, flipping them over until each page was loosened. Then a page fell out of the first book he'd read to Peter.

"Your sister…she must have been in Beacon Hills for quite a while if she uncovered the Hale conspiracy, on her own, quite successfully too," Harry said, staring at the names written in front of him. "This is your sisters writing isn't it?" showing Derek the letter.

Swallowing thickly Derek confirmed Harry's thoughts.

"She found all the conspirators behind the attack, including Kate Argent, this is the Argent coat of arms…this isn't her penmanship, she must have spoken to Harris, the fucking stinking coward must have remained quiet instead of coming forward with the information." Harry scowled angrily, "Then again it isn't a murder case, he has no reason to think its something more." he added grudgingly.

Derek stared at the paper, guilt consuming him, why hadn't she told him?

"Laura must have been investigating this long before Jennifer sent that damn deer picture to draw her back to Beacon Hills," Harry stated seriously, "I'll bet she figured it all out really quickly after speaking to Harris, at least most of it. These two must have been who Peter would have gone after next, he was making his way up the list. Those are the two who I have on my suspect list, they're known arsonists they will have warrants out for their arrest by now along with Argent."

Reddick

Unger

Derek delicately took the paper, it took him everything not to crush it in his hands, sniffing the paper still able to smell Laura on it. Peter more prominently though. She'd driven here with that in her pocket, clutched it close, wrote on it when she figured something else out. This had been one of the last things she touched, except her car. The car he held most dear because it had Laura's scent still in it. Or had, until Argent had broken the window forcing him to have it repaired, thereby having strangers going in and out the car.

The paper glowing pale green brought him out of his thoughts, "That will stop her scent from fading," Harry said softly, squeezing his shoulder. "I will do it to anything else you want me to, if you want we can go back to New York and gather a few things you wish to keep, we won't need to be longer than ten minutes."

Derek just swallowed thickly giving a nod, his fingers trembling lightly.

"Grieve for her Derek, don't push it down," Harry advised solemnly, "Do not let anger consume you, grieving for your sister is not showing weakness, it's not letting her go, it will help you remember her the way she would prefer to be remembered."

Derek's face became stony at that.

"They love you Derek, and if they were here they would tell you the same thing I am, you aren't to blame. You saw the files, six of those fires happened to packs who didn't have teenagers in them, nobody for Argent to seduce, but she still got them all didn't she?" Harry told him, "Live your life for them, make them proud, surviving is not the same thing as living,"

Harry actually contemplated letting Derek use the Resurrection stone, if anything could get through to Derek it would be his family. Perhaps having their absolution - not that he believed there was anything to forgive - was what he needed. He had never used it since he was a teenager himself, he actually planned on giving it to Teddy on his seventeenth birthday for a few hours, so he could talk to his parents. Now that Stiles was aware of the supernatural, he actually contemplated letting him speak to his mother, who would be whole again, let him see something of her, remember her, in a way that wasn't traumatic. Stiles still blamed himself for her death, needlessly at that.

Harry wandered over to Peter, picking up his hand, "I'm going to collect some blood from you, Peter, I want to make sure you're healing properly, I'll make an incision on your finger, I'll only need a few drops," Harry explained as he did the deed, letting the blood drop into a vial, while he squeezed his index finger until he had enough, before healing the small spelled cut. "There done, now I'll give you your potion,"

"He's awake?" Derek asked, wondering if Harry was talking to Peter as if he were conscious or if he actually was.

"He may be, the potion just makes you feel weak while it repairs what's wrong," Harry explained, as he poured the potion down Peter's throat, "In fact the Wolfsbane that has continuously injected into him by her, is probably gone, it's easier to get stuff out of the bloodstream, but the oil caught up in the folds of his scars will take longer," unable to say her name, as fury rolled through him, both female Argents were sick fucks. The things they'd done…how proud they were of their work…their continued efforts to eradicate werewolves was sickening. This never showed in his hands as they softly rubbed Peter's throat, mindful of the scars, getting the werewolf to swallow the potion.

 

"Hello, is this Maria Brennan?" Harry asked, his voice soothing and calm, as he absently removed yet another memory from his temple, letting it fall gracefully onto the liquid, waving his right hand over the memory immersed in the liquid, causing six photos to begin to shimmer in the container.

"Yes, who is this?" was the tense answer.

"My name is Harry Potter, I am Teddy's father, I'm calling on half of my son, he's informed me that you're quite worried about your sons' new life,"Harry said quietly, levitating the pictures onto the string, letting them dry off, as he put another memory into the black container, and the process was repeated once more. "Are you worried for him or about him?"

"He's a werewolf, I don't know what I'm meant to do," she choked out suddenly sounding desperate.

"You don't need to do anything," Harry soothed her, "Jimmy is still your son, he just has some part extra if anything it means he will always wish to be closer to you and your husband. Werewolves are pack animals, he will have already claimed you as his own. With a potion that is one hundred percent safe, let me reassure you, he will retain his right mind, and if you wish, Jimmy can come here for the Full Moon, spend it with others of his own kind. You would be most welcome to join him, see the part you're missing out on whenever you wish. Your son is not different, he won't suddenly be angry all the time like those stupid werewolf movies you see."

"There is a lot of prejudice though, what I've read about it…people are scared of werewolves," Maria whispered shamefully, she didn't want her son to have a difficult life.

"There are those who are scared yes, just like people who are scared of snakes, of hippogriffs, horses, or anything like that," Harry explained. The smell of delicious meat permeating the air caught his attention, a smile stole across Harry's face. He was glad Derek was beginning to feel more comfortable around here enough to help himself something to eat. Especially considering that he was being a terrible host, when he got into his work without Teddy around he often time forgot to eat. Continuing the conversation, giving it to the Brennan's straight. "Then there are those who are prejudice, but prejudice comes in all forms, from your ethnicity to your hair color, you cannot protect your son from that. The prejudice isn't as bad as it used to be back when I was younger, my advice, trust your son, make sure he takes his potions, and more importantly, do not tell anyone, and you're best not letting him be seen during the full moon."

Harry stood in the makeshift lab talking to Jimmy's parents, answering any questions they had, which resulted in a lot of repeated answers. Yet when Harry got off the phone, they were definitively much more relaxed and happier. The stress in their voices and tone had diminished completely during the forty-five-minute phone call. They were quite happy to allow Jimmy to come to Beacon Hills for the Full Moon's and decided that they would take a holiday after Hogwarts was let out, somewhere close by, where they could see for themselves, what pack life was all about.

Harry was glad they intended to wait, he had enough to worry about without two Muggles to protect as well. Sighing softly, he returned his phone to his pocket, rubbing his eyes tiredly. It had been one hell of a day, but things were going well all things considered. He had gotten a lot done, spoken to Minerva about her attitude, gotten Jimmy's parents phone number, spoken to them, and he was also doing something for Derek, giving him something he didn't have. Pictures of his family to remember them by. He knew exactly how it would feel for he had gone through the same thing when Hagrid had given him pictures of his family.

A blue glow emanated from the other side of the room, on a lone table - and one bloody vial sat - that stood well away from everything else. "Ah, finally," he murmured, wandering over, the rune was still glowing, the rune was ready to do its work. Normally he had a few on hand but they were too old to produce accurate results. These were the best diagnostics available, blood rune workups, it would give him family trees, possible illnesses that ran in the family (not that werewolves had to worry about that) and every little problem Peter Hale had ever had, every injury imprinted upon his person regardless of his healing abilities.

Plucking the vial from the table, Harry turned it over, the blood beaded up and rolled on down, dropping onto the paper. The blood snaked around, as if someone was tracing the drawing of the rune with a red pen, the blue glow disappeared into a red one, as it flashed. It had worked, it would take perhaps ten minutes for all of the histories to be written down. The werewolves name had begun to write itself across the page when a knock at the door distracted him.

Swiftly summoning the pictures which began to adhere themselves to the photo album in quick succession. As soon as the last one was slotted into place, Harry snapped it shut and picked it up, hiding the front cover, which held the Hale symbol, the Triskelion, a symbol that had been in the Hale family for generations according to Satomi who had promised him a book on werewolf packs. He put the album in his pocket, hiding it from Derek's no doubt curious eyes.

Wandering over he unlocked the door, to see Derek hovering in the doorway looking extremely awkward. "Is everything alright?" he asked, gentle waves of concern wafting from Harry.

"I made dinner," Derek confessed, looking murderously constipated, his hands balled up into fists.

Harry smiled, genuinely amused, quite frankly Derek looked as though he had just confessed he liked to pet at bunnies, not making dinner. It made him feel a little sad that Derek was so emotionally constipated, how long had he been that way? Why hadn't Laura helped him? Then again she would have been grieving too, but it was her duty as an Alpha to care for her pack. And Derek had been her only pack, she should have taken care of him better. "Thank you, Derek," Harry said pleased, deciding to explain rather than let an uncomfortable silence linger for long. Both of them leaving the basement and making their way to the kitchen, following the smell of the cooked meal. "I should apologize, I'm not being a very good host, I know, but when I get into something it consumes all my attention, I often forget to eat."

"I can see that," Derek said dryly, not surprised by Harry's comment at all, "What surprises me is that I can't hear your stomach growling from here."

"My stomach is used to it," Harry said wryly, deciding to give Derek the photo album after dinner, he didn't want to put the man off eating after cooking it for them.

"The Full Moon is tomorrow," Derek said as he sat down.

"It is," Harry nodded his agreement, he too sat on the seat on the bar stool. "Teddy and Jimmy will be here tomorrow morning. Or rather afternoon in this time. No matter how long I've been here, the time always gets screwed up, especially during daylight savings, it only shaves off an hour, but it's still difficult to remember the actual time in both zones." shaking his head bemusedly, he dug into the food. "This is really good, Derek, you're a fantastic cook." it didn't hurt to compliment Derek, he seemed so surprised and shocked when anyone was nice to him. Just how long had he been on the fringes of society, others taking his attitude at the face of value without trying to look deeper?

"I didn't use to be," Derek admitted slowly, "My uncle Peter tried to teach me once, but I wasn't interested, he likes to make food that he's had all over the world." like everything else, the cookbooks and recipes were destroyed in the fire.

"Nobody is ever interested in cooking as a teen," Harry said seriously, "So did you get better with practice or did you go to classes?"

"Practice, it's very difficult for us to burn anything," Derek explained, rather enjoying himself, much to his surprise, he felt nothing but the satisfaction that Harry liked the food he'd prepared.

"Yeah, Teddy lets me know if anything is too 'burnt' for his tastes," Harry grinned in amusement, "He actually refused to eat anything that was remotely burnt for years. Insisted it tasted like charcoal, so I had to take great care in making sure his food was seared perfectly. He was five so he was able to get away with it."

Derek felt a burst of amusement, inwardly agreeing with Teddy, it did taste awful when it was even remotely burnt. His aunt had been human and she had often done the same thing, his uncle had often insisted that he definitely hadn't married her for her cooking. His dad had been the only one who could make anything on the BBQ that everyone would eat. A pang of loneliness shot through his heart, he missed them all so much. He'd grown up surrounded by people all the time, barely able to get any privacy, wishing for them to head home already so he could get some peace and quiet. You never got to appreciate what you had until it was gone, reduced to ashes by one wicked bitch.

"I have something I'd like to give you," Harry said, once the meal was consumed. He removed the album from his pocket, which was way too large for it to naturally fit and Derek realized this as his eyes widened in curiosity. He placed his hand on the front, concealing the spirals from view, as he slid it along. Only then did he lift his hand, watching as Derek's own touched it reverently. "Open it," he suggested, right now it merely looked like a very small wooden box with only a small opening discernable.

Derek's fingers trembled as he got his first glimpse inside, blinking rapidly, for all of a few seconds before his gaze grew intense as he stared at the figures in the photo before him. Greedily taking in everything he could, including the colors of his families eyes, which shouldn't be possible their eyes flared when they came into contact with cameras. His heart was pounding away like a drum, the urge to clutch it close and run, hide was strong. His shaky fingers flipped the picture over, his mom, he thought tracing her face reverently, oh, how he missed his Alpha so much.

"I can make you as many as you wish, all you need to do is think of them," Harry said solemnly, before standing up, knowing without a doubt that he wished to be alone. Squeezing his neck in comfort, and Derek didn't even tense slightly at the contact, he was getting used to it. With that Harry left, it was time to gather the results of Peter's results, make sure everything was alright.

Derek meanwhile continued to inspect each photo with an eagerness that would have been embarrassing if anyone had observed him. Each picture had the capacity to surprise him, little things he'd forgotten over the course of six years. Yet items of clothes they were wearing brought back memories he hadn't thought of in such a long time. Like Cora's favorite sweater she used to wear for weeks at a time, or his cousins favorite stuffed toys. His breathing hitched at the next picture, that was his mom in her wolf form, even as a wolf she was so powerful, so in control, so strong. Laura may have looked like her in wolf form, but she didn't have the same presence, plus Laura was in the photo so it was obviously not her.

The repugnant scent of severe shock caused him to sit up, photos temporarily forgotten. He stood up, rushing towards Harry, worried that he was somehow hurt or worse…the hunter was on the loose.

"What's wrong?" Derek demanded, once again unable to curb his attitude.

Harry stared up at him, confliction warring with worry most prominently displayed. "Um," was all that left Harry's lips.

Derek just frowned at the unlikely behavior before scowling in annoyance at the fact he just didn't know how to make it go away, how to make it better.

"You must promise me you're not going to go off half-cocked, that you will remain here just for one more day…at least, just until I have the hunters taken into MACUSA, please," Harry said, begging in the end, but he knew even without it the prospect of Derek remaining here was very slim. It was just whether Derek was a man of his word or not.

Derek just stared at him utterly bewildered, "What?"

"Promise me you'll stay here until after the full moon, give me your word," Harry said, stiffening his spine, unaware of the 'Alpha' slipping into his voice.

Derek however, was not oblivious to it, and reacted viscerally to it, bearing his neck, "You have my word," unable to deny his Alpha anything. And wasn't that a kick in the gut, the confirmation of information he had suspected for a while now. Harry Potter was all intents and purposes his Alpha and he hadn't even bitten him or gotten him to submit.

"Good," Harry sighed, relief coursing through him, closing his eyes he handed over the family tree, a larger copy of the original that was still on the table. He couldn't risk damaging it, and if it was damaged, especially the rune part, it would disintegrate right in front of his eyes.

Derek stared at it, before looking at Harry, his gaze demanding answers that he couldn't see in front of him.

"Your sister," Harry said quietly, sounding extremely loud in the basement. "Cora, she's alive..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Yes, Cora is going to be in this one, but don't worry that 'tude won't be there for long, honestly, you'd think it was a Hale trait at this point! :D Harry will make sure everything's running smoothly in the Hale pack ;) sooo how will they all react to hearing teddy's real last name? or how birth fathers name at that? :D I'm going to have fun writing that in let me tell you! Read and Review please guys! 
> 
> As for Predators of the moon, I don't think people like it as much as this one, I'm truly contemplating changing the plot entirely. If I did so...how would you like to see it? I suppose it might just be the fact that it's a Derek/Harry story people prefer him with Stiles although people have said this would be a good Derek/Harry story too, I suppose I could make something similar for 'Predator of the moon' to make it that way, perhaps Harry coming to Beacon Hills to deal with the problem and then ending up with Derek then instead of in New York?


	14. Chapter 14

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 14

Harry had been busy all night to get as much done as possible before his son and his friend arrived in time for the full moon. He had transported Jennifer Wright to MACUSA, along with the evidence he had acquired and the list of names and crimes she was involved in and handed them straight to the president, who had taken a personal interest in the case and wanted to be involved every step of the way.

Reddick and Unger had both been caught and questioned as well, but they were not hunters, they had been paid to torch the Hale house, they had been exposed to the magical world due to Kate Argent, which was MACUSA's worst fears coming to life. Thankfully neither Reddick and Unger had revealed the supernatural world to anyone, knowing had apparently terrified them enough to keep silent and become recluses together living on the considerable sum they had received from the woman. Their arrest had been anticlimactic, but they'd been asleep in bed, it had been four am, how they hadn't been alerted due to the noise he'd made became evident when he saw them. They were in drunken stupors glass bottles strewn everywhere. They would more than likely have their memories wiped and transferred to a No-Maj prison where they would see out their sentence for the murder of twelve people.

So far he'd had no luck tracing Kate Argent down, she was a No-Maj, which meant he had to search for her without the aid of magic. Which normally wouldn't be a problem, but Argent was constantly on the move. The first place he checked was the brothers' house, but there were only three people in the property, which tallied with who lived there. He'd searched around the vicinity of the Hale property, which had taken him all night, it was a wasted time.

He gave up at six am and Apparated back to his home, sighing in agitation, there was nothing to indicate that Kate Argent was back. No rental car, no hotel or motel booked in her name. He was tempted to ask Noah and the Sheriff department to aid him in her capture, but she was a murderer. She wouldn't think twice about killing any of them in order to get away. No, this was best handled by the magical world, if he had to he would just ask President Donovan to get some Aurors pulled into the search. He had offered, but Harry preferred working alone.

Wandering through to the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge and some ham, making himself a quick sandwich, while he drank the orange juice. Yawning tiredly, he decided that it was just too dangerous for her to be free, after the full moon he would get Donovan to draft in others into the search, she wouldn't be free to harm another werewolf again. Not that she would, since they would all be under his roof, well most of them, he amended, he wasn't sure if he could convince Scott McCall to come here for the duration of the full moon.

He knew he had to try though.

"Hey," Harry murmured tiredly, another yawn stretching his jaw to capacity. "Have you slept?" turning around to face Derek and the door. Considering Derek was dressed in only a pair of loose-fitting pajama bottoms that he definitely hadn't given him, so he must have brought the rest of his belongings here at some point. He couldn't help but compare the differences in the boy that had become a man, in looks only, too much damage had been done to Derek for him to have grown up. The way he reacted to certain situations gave that away. He had closed himself off from society and had remained the damaged teen he was. He was sure not speaking of it didn't help matters either.

"Some," Derek replied, much more than Harry had, he wasn't sure why he was going to such lengths to help. It wasn't in his experience that people helped to the extent that Harry had and still was.

"Derek…" Harry paused as he thought on how best to say what he wanted, "I hope you understand that finding Cora might not be the reunion you envisage."

The werewolf stiffened at the words, his face hardening.

"Don't get me wrong, I do hope she welcomes you, but you must understand that she probably thinks you're all dead when she finds out that you and Laura survived…that she had been abandoned it might bring up a lot of anger." Harry said softly, "She will sympathize with Peter the most I think." for he had suffered similarly to her, being abandoned, but at least Cora wasn't stuck in her own mind for six years.

Derek deflated at the words, grudgingly nodded, the lack of argument meant that Derek had thought of this but didn't want to dwell on it.

"She may also have a new pack, one that she might not wish to leave," Harry added delicately, "I do hope you won't hold that against her, she's a teenager now, practically a grown woman, she will not be the ten-year-old you remember. She too had her family torn from her, it would change anyone. You had your older sister, Cora had nobody to help her overcome her loss. It will be awkward, painful, but you'll have to open your mouth and talk to her. Tell her how you're feeling, otherwise, you'll never get past the wall you both have up around yourselves to protect both of you…emotionally."

Sighing softly, he wandered over, gripping Derek's bare shoulder tightly, "Give it time, talk to her, and do not give in," he added, before walking past making his way to Peter's room. Absently summoning a few pieces of paper that detailed information about the case. He honestly doubted whether Derek was capable of talking much, but he had to if he wanted the relationship he envisioned with his sister. He might not have had a family but he was very familiar with peoples emotions to know best what may happen. If it didn't, he would be very glad, for Derek, that he would have the relationship he wanted with Cora, but experience had taught him that it probably wouldn't happen.

Flicking his wand he turned one of the chairs in the room into a couch. Needing something more comfortable to sit on. The suspect list was getting steadily longer the more people he interrogated, though most of them had been confirmed as hunters, he could only imagine the number of people who would be named when Kate Argent was caught. He knew without confirmation that this was going to end up a nationwide search to find these people and Obliviate them as well as ensuring they paid for their crimes.

Sitting down he groaned in relief, by Merlin he was exhausted, kicking off his trainers he curled up on the couch. Scratching away the three names of those already caught and in MACUSA's custody. He would need to call Stiles and get Scott's number, having him here would be safest, he didn't want to risk the kid doing something and getting the hunters on his tail. With how new he was to the supernatural, well he may end up dead before morning.

That was the last thing Harry consciously thought, as sleep pulled him under extremely fast, his body shutting down for much-needed sleep after going so long without.

The next thing Harry was aware of was an incessant buzzing bringing him out of his very pleasant sleep. Grumbling in complaint, he opened his eyes, before sitting up abruptly, bloody hell, he'd fallen asleep. He found that Peter Hale was awake and watching him with an inscrutable look on his face. That reminded him what the alarm was for since the flushing potion was complete, he could now take the one that would repair the damage done to his mind.

"Good morning," Harry said, stretching out a little, "Looks like your healing is working fully now," noticing that the burns had faded completely.

Peter merely blinked, as if it hadn't dawned on him.

"Not much of a talker then?" Harry teased him, "Must be a Hale trait,"

"Are you going to keep me a prisoner here? Locked up in my own body unable to move?" Peter asked with deceptive mildness. "I thought you said that it would have been kinder to kill me?"

Harry leaned back staring at Peter with a knowing look on his face, "I am not easy to manipulate Peter, you'll need to try harder than that," Harry admitted with a smirk, "The damage done to you over the past six years…is significant, you might feel fine, cogent, but the truth of the matter is, you are not. The damage done to you should have sent you completely feral, but your need for revenge enabled some part of you to cling on. You aren't thinking straight, aren't thinking of the future but if you take the potions I give you, they will correct the imbalance, and once you've done so, I swear on my magic as a wizard that I will let you have your revenge against Kate Argent without repercussions."

There was a visceral reaction from Peter at that pronouncement, both in knowing what Harry was and the promised revenge against Argent. The wizard had not lied once, the thought of something being wrong with his mind and not knowing it was very concerning.

"If you won't do this for yourself, do it for Derek, for Cora," Harry said seriously, "You almost killed Derek before, yes, that was real and not a dream, many of your dreams are in reality things you've done while completely out of it on Wolfsbane."

"Laura," Peter whispered, a pained look on his face, while he hated her for abandoning him, he would never have killed her while in his right mind. She was Talia's daughter, all that was left of the Hale pack along with Derek, generations of Hales had upheld the peace at Beacon Hills, kept it safe, and now because of a damn hunter, they were destroyed.

"Do any of your niece and nephews know that you were an enforcer, the left hand so to speak for your sister?" Harry asked simply.

Surprise flashed over Peter's face, "No, nobody knew, except perhaps our Emissary," his face darkening as he thought of him.

"Ah, Deaton, yes, I'd love to have a conversation with him," Harry said, his green eyes gleaming mercilessly.

Peter caught the look and found his interest in the wizard spiking. He began to realize there was more to him than met the eye, and not just because he was a wizard (he'd never heard the term used out of storybooks before) since that mystery had been solved already that wasn't what was holding his attention. There was just something about him, a warrior underneath that surface hidden from view, a vengeful one. He hadn't even hesitated about allowing his revenge, he surely knew what would happen to her. He wondered what his story was. He found himself wanting to know everything he possibly could about this man. 

"The potion I'm giving you will actually begin making you feel better within a few minutes, you'll see for yourself just how much it helps. You'll need to take it for a week, in the morning and at night." Harry explained, as he opened the box containing the fourteen vials, plucking one from the end of the row, he uncorked it and gave Peter a pointed look.

Peter grudgingly nodded, his nose wrinkling at the repugnant odor that wafted from within. He had a feeling judging by the look on his face that if he didn't take it willingly, then it would find another way into his system regardless. Personally, he didn't want to find out if he was right or not since Harry had basically said he would be free if he took the potion and not bound to this blood bed, which was something he didn't want, he'd already been confined to a bed for six years…he wanted to be free, to roam around to smell the grass, the outdoors and smelling everything from a window just wasn't the same thing.

"Here, you can move your torso," Harry explained, handing over the vial, eyeing Peter in curiosity, as if trying to gauge what he would do next.

Peter narrowed his eyes at the gleam of amusement he could see in the wizards eye, he was enjoying this. As he swallowed back the disgusting concoction, he realized he would be too if the roles were reversed which just annoyed him. His breathing hitched, as he swallowed back bile that was threatening to be expelled from his body. It was like wool being peeled from over his eyes, he did feel more clear-headed and in control. Which made him realize he had missed a very important detail or rather not comprehended it.

"Cora?" his breathing hitched, "She got out then…"

"You were the one that got her out?" Harry enquired, removing all spells that had kept Peter immobile for the past few days.

"She was small enough to fit between the house and the circle, I had just run down the stairs into the sitting room, looking for the rest of the kids, to get them out, but the smoke was burning my lungs, I could barely breathe, it's the last thing I can really remember," Peter revealed, his heartache hidden.

Harry nodded, noticing he hadn't spoken about the breaking of the pack bonds, there was no doubt the last thing Peter wanted was for anyone to see him vulnerable. Least of all a stranger, who he probably wouldn't trust one hundred percent, at least until he proved himself. Even then, the members of the Hale family might never trust anyone again, perhaps not even their own kind.

"After living off hospital food for six years, if anyone deserves something nice it's definitely you," Harry asked, flicking his hand, casting the time in a red glow in mid-air. One o'clock in the afternoon, he'd given up around six o'clock so he'd slept for at least six nearly seven hours. He smiled genuinely at Peter's curiosity over the magic, he had a feeling that this guy would be asking endless questions…that's if he didn't end up going with Derek to collect Cora, he had to admit he'd miss them, which was odd in itself. Heading towards the door, he glanced back to see Peter practically drooling over the food he was no doubt envisaging. "I have Peppercorn Crusted Filet Mignon with balsamic red wine sauce ready to cook if you'd like to join me, there are some clothes in the drawer, and the shower is free for you to use," no doubt he wanted the remainder of the sweat off his body.

Harry turned back just as he had left the room and summoned the paperwork he had left there, he did not want to tempt Peter. Not that he'd be able to leave the perimeter around the house. At least not until after the full moon, and he had every hunter in this damn town out of the way. Most especially Kate Argent, after that Peter was free to do what he wished. Giving Peter one last nod, hoping he wasn't doing the wrong thing in trusting him, especially with his son around.

Once he was in the kitchen, he collected the Filet Mignon, opening the tub, he put the cooker on, added a little oil before putting six Filet Mignon's on, before replacing the tub, which was spelled so it never wasted. He shook it a little, as it cooked, only for a ding to distract him. The Floo Network, it must be Teddy and Jimmy, but it was early still. It was what…six o'clock in the morning back in Britain. Teddy loved his sleep, he rarely got up that early, you didn't even get up that early for classes.

"Teddy?" Harry called out, "I'm in the kitchen!"

"Who's here? And they better not have been in my room!" Teddy called out loudly, as he made his way into the kitchen a big beaming grin on his face as he threw himself at his dad. He had meant it when he said he missed him. He didn't like people being in his room, his dad being in his room was fine but anyone else would get their asses kicked. It was his territory, and it raised his hackles if anyone was in it, his dad said it was a normal reaction to have. Wolves were territorial too, in fact beside his dad the only person who had been in his room was Stiles. Which reminded him, his phone needed charging pronto so he could spend the day with Stiles and Jimmy too of course. It had been ages since he saw him. "You might want to turn the meat over," Teddy added absently.

"Nobody is in your room," Harry said dryly, managing to get around Teddy's hold to turn the meat over before it burnt. "I have…two friends over, Derek and Peter Hale, they're werewolves so you do not need to hide from them." Noticing Jimmy peering into the kitchen, but not having the confidence to come in.

"I can't wait to meet them!" Teddy said positively vibrating with excitement.

"No questions until later," Harry stated firmly, "Neither are in a condition to deal with incessant questions, although they may have questions of their own when they find out."

"Find out?" Jimmy asked, he was as tall as Teddy but was hunched over as if he wanted to disappear.

"Has Teddy told you about the two different kinds of lycanthrope?" Harry asked Jimmy, giving him a warm welcoming smile, putting him at ease.

"He was telling the truth?" Jimmy blurted out, blushing furiously at his words.

Harry laughed, "He was indeed," he informed Jimmy, he understood his skepticism, he had seen it with his own eyes and had felt incredulous over the information. Letting go of Teddy he levitated the plates out and set the cooked food onto them, "Are you hungry?" he asked both boys.

"We had breakfast before coming," Teddy immediately shook his head, "I'm going to call Stiles! But don't worry I'll be back well before it's time."

"About that…Stiles knows," Harry said before Teddy could leave the kitchen.

"Knows what?" Teddy asked turning back around, suspicion churning in his gut.

"About the supernatural, his friend was turned into a werewolf, not your kind, and I am teaching him magic," Harry told him seriously.

"Magic?" Teddy asked agog, "Wait, what? Is he a wizard?" disbelief evident on every line of the teens face. There was no way Stiles was a wizard, he would have noticed.

"No, Stiles is a spark," Harry explained, "His magic will manifest differently from ours, so if you wish to tell him about yourself, you can safely do so. I am going to try and get Stiles friend here for the full moon too, he's new to the supernatural and isn't taking his change very well." glancing briefly at Jimmy, who wasn't quite so nervous anymore.

"So I can invite him here?" Teddy asked, his excitement tripling.

"You can try," Harry called out as Teddy was already dragging Jimmy out of the kitchen, Harry shook his head, no doubt Teddy would be disappointed, he couldn't see Noah agreeing to let Stiles come when he was grounded. "Foods ready," he said, knowing that both Derek and Peter would be able to hear him without any trouble whatsoever. Harry didn't wait for either of them, as his stomach rumbled outrageously hungry, he began to eat.

He was hungry enough that he polished off his food within minutes, picking up his now empty plate, he moved over to the sink and washed the plate absently and perched it on the draining board. Automatically looking over his shoulder when he felt a presence in the room. He wasn't surprised to see Peter there, after so long without anything to eat, he was bound to be hungry. What he was surprised by was the fact Peter was wearing his clothes, his favorite clothes actually, a pair of tight-fitting black jeans and a white long-sleeved t-shirt. The first thing Harry thought was that Peter was hot, very hot and very desirable, he couldn't help the flickering of arousal that coursed through him.

So either Peter was actually very vain and refused to wear the jogging pants and loose fitting t-shirt he'd left him and instead elected to wear his clothes despite the fact his scent was on them. Not something many werewolves chose to do, or he preferred to wear something he would wear regardless of scent, he was a new alpha, so perhaps it didn't bother him as much.

He arched an eyebrow at the challenging look on Peter's face, it was as though he was trying to goad him. "For future reference, you really shouldn't go nosing around a wizards property, touch the wrong thing you could end up cursed and in ways that being a werewolf wouldn't be a cure for." he told him mildly, a smirk making its way across his face as the look slid off Peter's features, "Many wizards are very paranoid, not that you need to worry about anything cursed lying around here." although it certainly would make sure Peter didn't try and dig around his home. He floated over a fork and knife to Peter so he could eat.

"What would you like to drink? Red wine is typically served with steak or whiskey, but if you'd prefer cranberry or Pomegranate juice they are available or water." Harry asked him as he raided around in his fridge bringing out the aforementioned Pomegranate juice which he poured into a half pint glass for himself before taking a few large gulps.

He was just putting the juice away when his mobile phone went.

Now, why would the Sheriff be calling him?

"Hello?" Harry said, answering the call.

"Harry, I've had my son on the phone, he wants to go to yours, now I don't want to think he's lying…but he's proven that I cannot trust him, is your son home?" Noah asked grimly.

"Yes, Teddy is here for a few days, he has no classes and decided to spend some time here," Harry explained, his heart blipped on the lie, Teddy most definitely did have classes. "Personally I think he just misses my cooking," he said with amusement.

There was a sigh of relief in the background, "Stiles is still grounded, I'll tell him he can come if he remains inside," Noah said grudgingly, "I'm working late tonight." and Noah worried about his son constantly while he was at work. "At least if he's at yours I will know he's safe and not up to mischief."

"If that's the case why not let him stay over?" Harry questioned, "Saves him from calling later and asking," he chuckled wryly. Which happened nine times out of ten during the summer holidays.

"I'd like that," Noah admitted, sounding extremely tired. "As long as you don't have anything that requires your attention." in other words his work.

"I'm not working tonight. Let him know he can come whenever he likes," Harry informed him, "Take care, Noah, be careful,"

"Thanks," Noah replied, "I'll call you later, bye," with that he was gone.

Harry slid his phone back into his pocket, gazing at Peter, who was carefully consuming the food, relishing every bite, "I am hoping it doesn't need to be said, but if you threaten any of the kids tonight…you won't like the consequences, is that understood?"

Peter swallowed the bite of meat and nodded solemnly, not even thinking of teasing the wizard which normally he would be liable to do. "A red wine, please. I am assuming that you are where Stiles got the knife from?" automatically touching his shoulder where the blade had sliced into him. He hadn't been able to remove the damn blade, the handle had been coated in mountain ash, very ingenious he had to admit. His nurse had removed it, to add insult to injury, seeing as he was an alpha the wound had not healed as it should.

"You are correct, there's an abundance of different kinds of Wolfsbane on the property, so have care if you go out the back and into the greenhouse," Harry explained, as he grabbed a Merlot red wine off the wine rack and a glass before pouring one for Peter, corking it before putting it in the fridge. "Derek come and eat, even with the warming charm it won't stay warm forever," honestly, he thought shaking his head, another way he was acting like a teenager not wanting to face his problems.

"He's always been quiet, content to blend in…happy with his position in…" Peter trailed off clamming up immediately. "He isn't one for confrontation, he'd rather avoid it."

"In other words the perfect beta," Harry said with a sad smile, sitting down opposite Peter. "How did you find out about it? About the fact, Argent was using your nephew? Not even Laura knew, although I think she was well on her way to suspecting or perhaps finding out herself."

"Dad, Stiles is coming!" Teddy hollered as he made his way into the kitchen again.

"I know, why don't you get the living room ready for tonight?" Harry suggested, "And take Derek's dinner to him, I think he needs time alone to process everything." floating a bottle of water over next to the food for Teddy to take.

Peter inhaled sharply, staring speculatively at the teenager, he smelt like a wolf, but not like he'd ever smelt before. He didn't smell like the human members of his pack either, not like he had been scent marked by werewolves. His eyes were gold, like that of a werewolf who was having trouble controlling his wolf. Yet he was the opposite of having trouble, he seemed very well grounded.

"Okay," Teddy agreed immediately, swiping the food and bottled water before he was off again.

"He's a type one Lycan," Harry told Peter, watching closely to see if he knew, he suspected he might.

Peter abruptly began coughing on his piece of meat, before managing to swallow it painfully, drinking down some wine, "Seriously? I thought they had all died out, none of my contacts had heard the term let alone met one." academic excitement began to brew within Peter, and for the first time in what felt like years, his mind wasn't consumed by the need for revenge.

"Tonight you will meet two," Harry said simply, "You are welcome to read any book in my library, just bear in mind they are vastly different from you, they do not heal as rapidly, but thankfully as wizards we have access to potions so it's not as bad as it used to be for them."

"They have both the ability to shift and use magic?" Peter asked blinking a little too quickly as he comprehended that statement. "That is…unprecedented,"

"Only to you," Harry said wryly, "Go and talk to him, you need to get this distance that's between you sorted out, the Argents have already taken most of your pack from you, don't let them win by letting this fester, become who you were before the fire, formidable, together, it's the best thing you can do, do not let them win. Because if you do…well it's game over really, isn't it? What's the point of getting even if they've already won?" there were times when he had felt that way, way back of course, during the war with Voldemort.

Derek needed absolution from someone who meant something to him, it was quite possibly the only way he would truly forgive himself and move on. Someone like Peter who had lost everything too.

 

"You were one all this time? And you kept it from me?" Stiles asked, his eyes flashing with a deep hurt, Teddy had been his best friend for years, been there for him, understood him in a way that nobody else his age did. To hear that he was magical and that he was a werewolf was a shock to the system. Even his other best friend Scott had confided in him right away.

"There are laws, Sti, I could have gotten into a lot of trouble if I told you, then they would have removed all memories of you knowing," Teddy said quietly, "I wanted to tell you years ago, honestly, I did, but I just couldn't…now I can since you're part of the magical world, if…if you stay you'll see me transforming into a wolf," he offered up as if it could make everything better.

Oddly enough when it came to Stiles it was enough.

"Wait, an actual wolf?" Stiles asked mouth agape, you could tell how shocked he really was by the fact there was no sarcastic retort leaving his mouth. "I…researched werewolves and that was the only information I could get, but Scott doesn't turn into a wolf, he just sort of grows a snout and hairy sideburns and claws. I thought maybe the information I got was just myth or from films. I didn't read anything about were's turning into actual wolves.

Teddy stood up and grabbed Stiles by the neck, before rubbing his head with his fist causing Stiles to curse, and shove Teddy off him. No matter what, he could never predict when Teddy was going to do that, it was annoying. He'd done it ever since they were kids, "Come on, I know where you want to be,"

"Let me guess…the library?" Jimmy asked, already well aware of Teddy's habits enough to guess accurately that he probably had a friend with similar taste.

"Yup!" Teddy and Stiles retorted before grinning wryly.

Jimmy groaned in complaint, "Come on!" he whined, as he inevitably followed them both, "We just left school! For two days! Least we can do is avoid the damn library!"

"We won't be in there forever, I promise," Teddy pacified Jimmy seriously.

"Boys, before you do, Stiles I want you to call Scott and have him here for the full moon, tell him if he doesn't get his ass over here I will tell his mother everything," Harry stated from the door of his office, the library was just across from it. He knew that was the only threat that would work on the teen.

"I'll try," Stiles said dubiously, he honestly didn't think Scott would do anything he was told, he was angry, he had lost Allison. Honestly, he'd thought them not dating would bring Scott back to being his best friend but no, he just spoke about her even more if it was bloody possible. In fact he usually just let Scott talk over Skype while he researched stuff, not paying any attention.

Unfortunately for Scott, he was going to wish he had.

For tonight his eyes were going to go from gold to blue.

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I wonder if any of you remember what happens that full moon :D eh, you'll probably all be able to guess which sorta sucks lol BUT I suppose I could go a different way and make it so it's not who it's supposed to be ... yep some of you might not get this like at all but I don't want to ruin it just in case you don't know :D and I'm sort of gutted about Peter and Harry's interaction...I wanted there to be heat behind their conversation, an instant attraction hmm I'll need to definitely have that happen like very soon :D as for Derek/Stiles it will be a while, they'll become friends first so I'm sorry about the long wait that's about to occur :) R&R, please


	15. Chapter 15

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 15

It was later that night, after sharing Teddy's favorite hearty deer stew, and there were a tenseness and anticipation thrumming through everyone present, except, of course, Stiles and Harry who were the only ones whom the moon held no sway over. Stiles though was thrumming with a different kind of anticipation, excitement, and joy, so different from how the first moon had been with Scott. There was no fear here, no worry over what might happen, just an excitement to see what lay ahead. He was in no danger, both Harry and Teddy had reassured him, not that he had worried, they just wanted to make sure that Stiles actually wanted to be there, that he knew he was safe with them.

Peter and Derek had spoken, what had occurred between them both between closed doors was not known to anyone in the house. Both Jimmy and Teddy did not have magnificent hearing all month, they only had it while in wolf form. The pout on Stiles' face had been comical when he learned that they were so different. Though knowing that they were able to actually transform bet out being able to hear everything or so said Stiles.

Harry hadn't needed to coax Peter and Derek out, both were all too amenable to the idea of coming outside. Their own wolves were close to the surface, so that wasn't a surprise, but Harry knew they were just as curious as Stiles to see Jimmy and Teddy transform.

Derek had barely sat down on the porch steps when he was approached.

"Hi!" Teddy exclaimed, body thrumming with boundless energy, staring down at Derek. His gold eyes gleaming ethereally, as the sway of the moon became more evident as it grew nearer time to shift.

Derek stiffened a little, not used to anyone encroaching on his personal space, not for six years now. Clearing his throat, "Hello," he was also a little bit rusty when it came to talking to people, especially teenagers.

"Can you shift? For me? Pleaseeee!" Teddy asked hopping impatiently, pleading with Derek with those eyes that had the werewolf caving before he realized he was actually doing it.

Derek growled playfully, his fangs lengthening and his eyes flashing blue, not fully shifting, yet.

Teddy automatically copied him, fangs of his own descending from his gums and his eyes flashed blue.

Stiles bowled over laughing at the look of stunned surprise on Derek's face, he shouldn't laugh really, it's probably how he had reacted, probably worse when Teddy had transformed into him. Like a carbon copy of him, a twin, and it was so bloody awesome, he had so many ideas mischief he could make with this, it was going to be amazing.

"How about…It's really difficult to talk through these," Teddy's voice slurred over the fangs before he made them disappear. "Can you show me your Beta shift? That is what its called, isn't it? Is Peter's called an Alpha shift with him being an alpha? Does that mean your shifts are different or just the same with a different name?" Teddy just stared expectantly at the overwhelmed werewolf.

Peter's lips twitched watching Teddy and Derek's interactions, he liked to think he and Derek had made some progress. He doubted very much his nephew would ever trust him the way he did when they were both younger. Regretfully it was his burden to bear and bear it he would. He had done many 'horrific' deeds in the name of his pack and been looked down upon for it sometimes - but he would do it all again.

Derek had always been his favorite, but he had screwed that up, he was partly to blame for what happened to his pack, he firmly believed that. If he had just left the situation alone…Argent might not have got her claws into Derek. He didn't dare say that to Derek, he was very touchy when Paige was brought up. The only saving grace of the entire situation was that Paige had not been Derek's mate, otherwise Derek would never have recovered and he would have definitely been kicked out of the pack by Talia. She had been a brilliant Alpha and an even more amazing mother.

Except on the one thing, one thing he and Talia hadn't agreed on. Derek should have been attending those Alpha lessons of hers, Cora too when the time came to it. They should all be taught how to be a good alpha, not that any Talia's lessons had sunk in with his niece…she'd severed two of her own pack mates bonds and ran, her first act as Alpha, she had shamed her mother for certain.

Derek stared at Teddy feeling a little overwhelmed with the questions thrown his way, "An Alpha shift is much bigger, stronger than a Beta shift," he explained, old feelings brewing within him, a contentment he hadn't felt for six years. "But other than that, they're essentially the same."

"Does it hurt?" Teddy asked solemnly, his eyes shifting back to gold, "When you shift I mean,"

"No," Derek shook his head, "It doesn't hurt," he had a feeling though that it hurt Teddy judging by his tone.

"Dad says your mum and sister could turn into a wolf like me, did it hurt them?" Teddy questioned sitting down cross-legged, his sole focus on Derek. Stiles and Jimmy who were sitting just a little away were listening intently as well.

"A little bit, until they got used to the shift and pull of their muscles changing form," Derek revealed quietly, a pained look on his face as he thought of his family. Teddy was reminding him vividly of his cousins, and it was hurting him just as much as it was making him feel happy. So many conflicting emotions and Derek didn't know how to deal with it.

"Can I see your Beta shift?" Teddy asked, changing the subject, seeing how hurt Derek was, and able to smell it with it being so close to the full moon.

With a much put-upon sigh, Derek stood, he shifted to his Beta shift fully.

"Holy shit!" Jimmy muttered scrambling to his feet, "That's fucking awesome, and you can do that all the time?" how unfair was that?

Derek still in Beta shift nodded in confirmation, wheezing a little in a purely animal fashion, in what everyone suspected to be a laugh.

"That's so unfair!" Jimmy whined, his mouth closed with a snap when he realized what he had said, utterly stunned by his sudden acceptance. "Why do we have to be puny first Lycans?"

Stiles laughed, an image of the hulk popping into his mind.

Harry pursed his lips, looking away, his green eyes gleaming with amusement.

"How long has he been a werewolf?" Peter asked, staring at Jimmy able to deduce that he hadn't been a werewolf long.

"A few months," Harry said, barely twitching as Peter slid towards him, leaning against the porch rail. "He had no pack the first few times, it was only when he returned to school that Teddy began to help him accept the new part of himself. The past couple of weeks, Teddy had done his by him, but I think tonight is the first time he has felt fully accepted and accepted himself in turn."

Peter inhaled sharply, eyes narrowing in on Teddy, watching the teenager magically transform himself into an accurate representation of a Beta shift while looking like Derek. From the hairy sideburns to the elongated ears that were very unattractive he'd admit and last but no means least the fangs. His gaze shifting towards Jimmy, but he did not do the same thing.

Derek returned back to his normal visage only to suddenly burst out laughing, unable to help himself.

Teddy was still in Beta shift looking like Derek, but instead of a wolf nose…it was that of a pig.

Then he shifted back to his own look still with Beta attributes, one after the other changing random bits of himself, relishing in the laughter surrounding him. It put his wolf at ease, this…this was why he liked coming home, there was no constant wait all alone in a room locked up for the moon to show itself and him to change. He also made the animal noises.

'Ribbit' his eyes turned into that of a frog.

A loud squeal left his mouth as he took on the teeth and ears of a rabbit.

A similar noise came out as he turned them into that of a hare's.

"Oh, oh try a fox!" Stiles was clutching his stomach, he feared if he laughed anymore he would have a permanent stitch in his side. What was more mesmerizing was seeing Derek looking so young and happy, his glower was nowhere to be seen. He was just as mesmerized as everyone else. His guilt at how he treated him had no place here, he wasn't going to spoil tonight, but he did realize he would have to properly apologize. His dad had made it clear that if he didn't he would be grounded until he was twenty-one.

"Why has Jimmy not joined in, he seems to be as amazed as the others," Peter pointed out shrewdly, shifting closer to Harry, wishing to be as close to his soothing scent as possible. He wasn't sure what it was with Harry, but ever since he first met him, he felt drawn to him in ways he had never felt before. He closed his eyes relishing the chuffs of amusement coming from his nephew it reminded him of home so much that if not for his sense of smell, it would almost be like being home.

"Teddy's abilities are his and his alone, he can shift his body parts to imitate animal or human, he cannot fully transform into an animal with that ability, but can do so with anyone human as you saw. It's very rare trait, one he got from his mother, its called Metamorphamagus,"

"So called after Metamorphosis?" Peter questioned curiously, his lips twitching in amusement yet again as he watched.

"It's sort of like that, although that's more geared towards animals, Metamorphamagus after the ability to morph into someone or something else." Harry explained watching them fondly, "Teddy would turn into anyone he wished when he was young, imitate others, he had to learn control of it fast especially living in the mundane world. It was a very stressful time for the both of us, but he did me proud."

"Did he need to regain control during his adolescence?" Peter asked, finding himself utterly fascinated as he watched Teddy roar sounding exceedingly like a tiger he was trying to be.

"No, once you have control over your magic and abilities it remains that way, we don't suddenly find it difficult while we go through puberty," Harry explained, understanding what Peter was truly asking.

"Can I er…go upstairs? Just for a minute?" Jimmy asked as he came over to Harry, eyes gleaming with wicked thoughts and merriment. "I want to get some sweets…"

"There are only forty-five minutes before the moon rises so you best be quick," Harry told him, while he was more at ease, he was still a guest here and knew this thus he did the polite thing. In time he would realize Harry didn't mind what he did, as long as he was respectful to everyone in the house. That was pack for you though.

Jimmy swallowed nervously at the reminder, before nodding and quickly making his way up to the bedroom where he had left his bag earlier.

"He's still nervous," Peter commented without any infection in his voice. Having no worries about speaking due to the fact he now knew that neither Jimmy or Teddy could hear him.

"He always will be to a certain extent, you'll understand yourself later tonight," Harry explained flippantly, it was painful for them to change form, and they remembered that pain which made them reluctant for the full moon despite the fun they have during it. The pain sometimes outweighed the fun they have.

"You have said that a few times," Peter pointed out slightly frustrated with the vagueness. He was the master of vagueness and he was being taught that perhaps he wasn't the master of it at all by this slip of a wizard…alright, maybe not 'a slip of a wizard' he was quite something.

"It's not easily understood," Harry admitted softly, "You can say something, someone will accept it but not truly comprehend it until they see it or feel it for themselves." he wished he could remove the pain of the transformation from his son, but the reality was, he couldn't. The fact he fully accepts and embraces who and what he is helps, he doesn't tense up, which eases it significantly. Admittedly Peter did know about their existence, which was more than he expected, but did he truly know everything?

Peter gazed speculatively at the wizard, giving him a nod to concede his point, he would be finding out soon enough after all. Both Peter and Harry were distracted by Teddy calling out to his best friend.

"Wait, Stiles, don't eat that one!" Teddy called out through stifled laughs, only to throw his head back and laugh loudly as a train whistling loudly left Stiles very human throat, and steam billowed out of his ears, imitating both a steam train and the pepper-up potion.

Even Derek's chuffs were more human than lupine.

"That was…awesome!" Stiles exclaimed after his ears were finished popping like they would on an airplane. "Gimmie another one!" Stiles asked greedily, his hands out gesturing for another. Meanwhile making a mental note to look them up and learn everything he could.

The sounds of elephants, monkey's, lions, cats, horses and a huge variety of animal noises were heard for half an hour as they devoured the chocolates, even Derek joined in - even if it was only one sweet at Teddy's pleading, it seemed Derek couldn't quite deny Teddy anything, yet - to the sound of a tiger.

"It's time," Teddy said, glancing up at the sky, where the moon was moments from becoming whole, Stiles swallowed the chocolate, bleating like a sheep and looking distinctive sheepish causing them to laugh despite themselves, their throats hurt like hell, and their stomach's ached from all the laughing they'd done tonight.

"What are you doing?" Stiles squeaked out when both Teddy and Jimmy began to undress, nobody else so much as blinked at the sight, even Peter and Derek were used to nudity, they were werewolves for Merlin's sake it came with the territory.

"Undressing," Teddy replied shrugging off his t-shirt, "No point to wasting clothes when I transform," he added as he shimmied out of his trousers, "Dad?" he called to his dad, turning around to preserve Stiles modesty, obviously he felt uncomfortable, but it wouldn't be for long before he was in wolf form, he thought as he removed his underwear.

Peter flashed his red eyes at the two werewolves, and they unconsciously bared their neck for a few seconds in respect.

Harry nodded, before standing and doing the same, unaware of the eyes filled with avarice, enjoying the show, eyes flashing red as he gazed at Harry's form. Then it was as if he was doing an intricate move worthy of a ballet dancer before a white wolf stood on four paws before them stretching out with a very canine wheeze as he grew accustomed to his new body.

"An Arctic Wolf," Peter said reverently, his mind already off the unexpected treat of Harry's stripping. "They're a subspecies of grey wolf native to the Queen Elizabeth Islands, from Melville Island to Ellesmere Island. The Arctic Wolf lives in packs of five to seven, sometimes up to twenty, and they are very rarely on their own." the very definition of a pack animal.

"Stay back," Teddy warned Stiles, "Until we approach you," he knew his best friend well, he could be stupid at times and act without thinking. This couldn't be one of those times, he would never forgive himself if he bit Stiles, hence why he had asked his dad to be ready just in case.

Stiles nodded, he had already been told as much, if he approached them when they were shifting form, they might end up lashing out at him. So until they were firmly situated in their animal form, it was best just to remain at arm's length. Stiles sat himself down on the porch steps, besides Derek, watching curiously, just as inquisitive as Derek and Peter themselves.

For all of a few seconds, until the noise started.

The sound of an agonizing, bone tearing pain, one that was expressed in a very lupine way. That had every hair on Derek and Peters' body standing on edge. The sound of their bones grinding together as they changed made them feel sick to their stomachs. The pain filled howls began to taper off after a few minutes which honestly felt like much longer. Relief poured from them, they weren't sure how long they could have withstood it. They understood lupine behavior in a way that humans could not, while it probably sounded painful to a human…to them, it was so much worse. It was the sound of the worst sort of torture imaginable.

"That was what you meant?" Peter's voice spoke with an indecipherable note to it. What couldn't be denied was the fact he had been affected by the sight in front of him.

Harry's white wolf head nodded once, with a cheerful yip he bounced over to Jimmy and Teddy licking their muzzles, nipping at their necks and scent marking them in an armless hug. After a few moments of tussling, Teddy bound over to Stiles, licking his neck and face with his tongue.

"Yuk! Teddy!" Stiles complained, trying to wipe off the slobber that was all over him. Unable to help himself but stroking the brown and white wolf reverently.

Teddy chuffed in amusement, before bounding over to Derek, the front of his body lowered to the ground his back end up, tail wagging before jumping from side to side, keeping the pose, initiating play. His body quivering with excitement, yips occasionally leaving his lips. His great big tongue hanging out of his maw, impatiently, nudging Derek's face with his muzzle, 'come play' he was demanding, before taking off running, only a short way, before turning back whining when Derek hadn't followed him.

Whether it was the moons sway or Derek giving in, nobody knew since Derek changed into Beta form and launched himself over Teddy's wolf form and he was running as far and as fast as he could. Two wolves automatically giving chase, avoiding trees as they tried to keep up with the other werewolf, howling up trees as Derek avoided them by jumping from one to the other. Teddy and Jimmy, of course, tried to follow, but all they did was file their nails down as the tree proved impossible to climb.

The thrill of the chase had Derek's inhibitions completely lowered, as he happily continued to elude the two wolves. Not for long, though since their sense of smell was just as great as his own, and they were able to find him through that. It did not mean they managed to get him, hours passed as they played catch and hide and go seek simultaneously.

"They are making a lot of noise," Peter's tone was half worried, half cautious, surely it would be a beacon for any hunter within a mile radius. He had listened to them play for hours, the howls were becoming louder and more determined. He was then greeted with the sight of Harry transforming back into human form as he peeled himself away from Stiles, greedily taking in the sight of him.

"Don't worry, no noise in a three-mile radius around here can get out," Harry explained as he began to dress, very much aware of the eyes boring into him. "Nobody can get in or out of here, I go into full lockdown during the full moon. I take every precaution necessary to keep Teddy safe." the last part was muffled as Harry put on his top grateful for the warmth.

Peter couldn't help but wish vividly that Harry had been part of his life six years prior, then his entire pack would have still been alive. "You lived here six years ago?" he enquired, swallowing thickly.

"Yes," Harry said quietly, knowing instinctively what Peter was thinking, for he would have been thinking the same thing. The house he'd had previously and the land, had become occupied on either side, the second one of them saw a 'wolf' he had Obliviated them and moved him and Teddy to somewhere more secluded, and he had chosen this place after a case had brought him this way. During that time he had met Stiles, who had just lost his mother. His father hadn't appeared until after his wife was gone leaving him to comfort the child. Stiles had grown to be like a second son to him. The Hales hadn't come near this part, otherwise, he would have known about them, introduced his son to them, and quite possibly immersed himself in this new werewolf way of life, just as he had done when he met Satomi. "Excuse me," he murmured quietly, making his way over to Stiles who had fallen asleep curled around him earlier. He scooped the sleeping teen into his arms, before making his way indoors, the living room had been made into a large den of sorts with four mattresses all meshed together to make one large bed.

Dipping down onto one knee, he eased Stiles out of his arms, before throwing a cover over him. He wasn't easy to carry anymore, especially considering how tall he had gotten.

"Do you intend to stay in Beacon Hills and create a new pack?" Harry asked, claiming a seat on the couch, slightly surprised when Peter actually joined him. He was just used to Derek disappearing most of the time that he expected Peter to be the same. "Once the potion has run its course, the urge to create a pack will return," he added absently.

"I…don't know," Peter confessed, a dark look on his face, "It hasn't exactly worked out so far." his own Beta had denied their bond, denied him.

"Well, Peter, you did bite him without his consent, unfortunately, the boy doesn't see it as the gift it is, to him it's a curse…I had hoped tonight he would come and he would see just how lucky he was. And he is, compared to Teddy and Jimmy, he has it easy, although I suppose it does depend on what way you look at it."

Peter shuddered as he was vividly reminded of the howls, "Is it the same when they change back?" he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.

"No, it's much easier, usually they're asleep, I keep Teddy occupied, so by the time morning comes around he just slumps down and falls asleep," Harry explains, he was sure Derek was ensuring they had the time of their wolfy life. He couldn't run as fast or as well as a werewolf, and exhausted much quicker, he didn't have their stamina, but he sure as hell was better than he'd been years ago when he was eighteen-years-old. Lasted longer each time too and it accounted for the muscle he had now that he no longer played Quidditch.

Peter narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, wondering if there was a way to get Scott to fall into line. If someone close to him became a werewolf as well, perhaps he'd be more liable to join his pack. He wouldn't touch Stiles, he had a feeling Harry would actually really kill him if he did. His mother, he thought to himself, surely he'd change his tune if his mother was one as well.

"Whatever you are thinking, it's not happening," Harry said eyeing Peter's red eyes with narrowed eyes, "All you're missing in you rubbing your hands gleefully." he pointed out seeing the momentarily confused look on Peter's face after he spoke.

Peter smirked, "I've always been good at that," he informed Harry with a cheeky look in his eye.

"Look if Scott McCall doesn't want to be in your pack, fucking forget about the idiot. He's going to get himself killed if he keeps up with his shenanigans. Do this the right way, the way it's meant to be done, make sure the person you ask gets the pros and the cons of a werewolf life, including the fact the bite doesn't always take. Someone you actually want in your pack, someone you can rely on, depending on whether Derek is your second or not, pick someone that will make a good second-in-command." Harry informed him seriously.

"And what if I already have more than one Beta already?" Peter asked challengingly.

Harry arched an eyebrow in curiosity over his words, just as Teddy and Jimmy bound in, wheezing loudly, before collapsing on the makeshift bed unable to stay standing exhausted as they were. "You've bonded with Jimmy and Teddy?" Teddy's wolf form whined at Derek, nipping at his leg, urging him down. Grumbling in complaint, Derek spread himself out on the mattress, patting at Teddy who crawled into his stomach his tail thumping now and again.

Jimmy was already out for the count, not used to such stimulation on the full moon. His wolf had definitely had the time of its life, enjoying the thrill of the hunt even if he had lost.

Peter nodded none of his hesitance showing the fact he was unsure of how Harry would take it.

"And the bond is the same as it is with other werewolves?" Harry asked, green eyes gleaming as he learned new information. Nobody had studied both kinds of werewolves together, so this was completely new.

Peter once again nodded, he was also bonded to Harry but he wasn't sure why, and he had no idea who to ask.

"This is good, it means you won't feel such an urge to create a pack, you can take your time, watch and wait, although I suppose I am being presumptuous that you want a big pack, I do believe you do," Harry said knowingly. He had been in Peter's mind, he knew the werewolf would want a very large pack, to protect Beacon Hills from any and all threats, hopefully though, the rest of his desires were a result of his mind fracturing due to the breaking of so many pack bonds.

Derek listened to his Uncle and Harry talk, the bonds he held with them indicated they were both his Alphas. The last thoughts he heard was of what Peter wanted from Beacon Hills, and Derek couldn't help but desire to be a part of it, to be part of something greater than himself. He didn't want to be an Alpha, he had never desired such a thing, being a good Beta was all he'd ever wanted. His mind conjured up such a scenario, a large happy pack, all of them wolves, running during the full moon.

He wanted that so desperately. A large pack, a happy pack, safety, happiness, brothers and sisters (none could ever take the place of Laura though or his cousins) pack brothers and sisters really.

The Hale pack once again great.

And so Derek dreamed of such a scenario, feeling more at peace than he had ever felt in seven years since Paige.

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I hope this was everything you could have possibly wanted for the full moon :) if not sorry but I most definitely tried my best and was quite satisfied with the outcome. As you can see Derek is starting to heal, would you like to see more of his thoughts about the full moon in the next chapter? perhaps Peters too? 

Who will die at Scott's claws Jackson Whitmore OR Matt Delher? I'm leaning towards Jackson since in the series without Stiles and Derek that's exactly what would have happened and neither Stiles or Derek is there to prevent it! Read and Review, please


	16. Chapter 16

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 16 

Harry’s return to consciousness was always swift, left over caution from the war. He had never let himself become complacent. His job had also ensured that, it wasn’t easy work, but he honestly didn’t care, it was worth it. He was saving someone else from becoming broken by the world, haunted by what they had to do. He could do it, it was all he knew how to do. He’d been told it was his job so long that he’d believed it. He had been led to believe, he alone, could save the magical world. Those sorts of lessons hung on to him, while he found himself. 

He was sleeping against someone, slowly easing himself into sitting position, he blinked in surprise. He’d been sleeping against Peter, and the werewolf had allowed it. Of course, he had to be touch starved. Too proud to ask for anything, but not above taking advantage to get what he needed. Although advantage was probably the wrong word to use, it just had a slimy degrading feel to something that was pure and unsullied. 

Glancing to his left, he observed Stiles, Teddy, Derek and Jimmy in a tangled mass of bodies soundly sleeping. A small smile slipping onto his face. They’d had a very good night last night, he had seen Derek relaxing and just enjoying himself. He looked years younger lying there asleep, at peace, the constant wariness and guilt wasn’t weighing him down. Perhaps being part of a pack is all the therapy Derek needed, along with someone to talk to who wouldn’t judge him. 

Quietly padding out of the living room, trying to remain as silent as possible, pretty sure that he wouldn’t be able to get out without waking both Peter and Derek. With their hearing no doubt they were extremely light sleepers, even knowing they were safe. 

Once in the kitchen, Harry immediately flicked his wand, murmuring under his breath. Milk floated out the fridge and poured itself into the metal container which affixed itself to the coffee maker. It began to froth, before long there was a perfect mug waiting for him. Lifting the cappuccino, he sat himself down on the kitchen island, a thoughtful pensive look on his face. While the machine made another cappuccino until four lined the machine. 

Now that the full moon was over with, he would need to get back to his job. Finding Kate Argent, which was becoming no easy feat. Given what he knew about her, he hadn’t really expected it to be. Knowing she was here though was a major help. All he had to do was wait on her making an appearance. He didn’t want to wait though, which was why if he couldn’t find her by dinner time today, he would enlist MACUSA’s help. His best bet would be watching her family. She would go to them eventually, either that or check in with Victoria Argent, who he presumed was the matriarch of the Argent line. 

He was very, very tempted to ask Peter or Derek, they would be able to track her down quite quickly. Yet he would never dare to ask. It wasn’t fair on them, and quite honestly…he wasn’t sure if he could stop Peter from killing her first. He wasn’t sure if he would want to. What she had done, was beyond comprehension, how she’d gotten away with it was fucking baffling. 

Sipping his brew, he stood up, feeling more awake, he began to make breakfast. Well, more like he began cooking a feast. It was strange, Harry must admit, having so many people around during and after the full moon. Forever it had just been him and Teddy, it was such a welcoming change. Usually after a few hours he had to slow down, while Teddy was still so full of energy. Last night both he and Jimmy had been running for hours and hours letting off that wolfy energy. His thoughts continued to run as he made the meal, not fully concentrating on it but making sure it was not burnt nonetheless. 

Magic helped Harry a great deal with making such a large meal. Which was the sight that met Peter who was roused by the smell of coffee and food. His stomach rumbling hungry, it smelt so good. Ten times better than the disgusting food at the hospital. The fact there wasn’t an ounce of chemicals or oil saturated in weeks old foods was enticing to both him and his wolf. 

The sight that met him was strange, strange yet wonderful, mesmerising even for a werewolf who had grown up surrounded by the supernatural. Food, pots, pans, utensils floating around the room, without anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to any of it. It told Peter just how damn powerful this wizard was, at least he was assuming so. A pan carried the remaining pancakes to the plat already filled with them, plopping them down before zooming over to the kitchen sink. The sink itself was filled and a scrubber was cleaning everything. Floating itself over to a rack before laying still. 

“Good morning, Peter,” Harry said, his back still turned. 

Peter eyed Harry curiously, doubting very much that Harry trusted him enough to turn his back. The confidence he must have in his own abilities must be what allowed him to be that confident. Given that he could stun an Alpha werewolf, he could imagine what he could and would do to his enemies. Stiles and Teddy were very fortunate indeed, to have such a protector. Teddy reminded him vividly of his niece, Cora, although his youngest niece had been more demanding. His breathing hitched, she’d been his favourite, would she ever forgive him for what he did to Laura? Clearing his throat, “Good morning,” he replied politely, and for a rare occurrence it wasn’t feigned. 

“Have a seat, you’re probably hungry,” Harry commented finally turning around, “Help yourself, just leave enough for the others.” He added with a wry smirk. 

“Even I would have trouble consuming all this food,” Peter replied, his lips twitching a bit. 

“Difficulty yes, but not impossible,” Harry teased, as he sat down, waving his hand at the coffee maker, causing a coffee to float over to Peter. 

“You have the ability to shift into a wolf,” Peter commented, as he gratefully drank the brew that carefully sat carefully down beside him. Watching Harry with hidden amusement and amazement. 

“I do,” Harry replied as he picked up his own eating utensils and began to eat the food. 

“It did not hurt you, why haven’t Teddy and Jimmy learned how to transform into that before the call of the moon pulls them?” Peter asked shrewdly. Trying not to remember the sounds they had let loose, it was the second most horrific sound he’d heard. 

Harry’s green eyes glimmered with pride, this werewolf was extremely smart. “I asked myself that when I was young myself. The truth is that they are werewolves, they aren’t capable of the animagus transformation. This is what I am. An animagus. It takes skill, practice, and patience for wizards and witches to become Animagi. The process of becoming an Animagus is long and arduous and has the potential to backfire and cause the transformation to go horribly wrong. Many witches and wizards simply feel that their time might better be employed in other ways, as the skill is of limited practical use unless one has a great need of disguise or concealment. For years I have been researching a way around that, to give Teddy the ability to transform whenever he likes, like you should be able to.” 

Peter twitched at that pronouncement, feeling inadequate, the knowledge burned, “My sister and niece were the only ‘Wolves I knew who had the ability to do the full shift.” 

“I’ve been told,” Harry admitted, swallowing down his food. “The truth of the matter is…last Century every werewolf had the ability to fully shift. I don’t understand what happened, why only a few Were’s seem to think they’re capable of it. You’re a werewolf Peter, it’s in you DNA, in your blood, not just once a month, you’re capable of shifting all the time. I’ve told Derek this, but I don’t believe it’s sunk in yet.” 

Peter stared in disbelief, yet Harry’s heart remained steady, he believed wholeheartedly in what he was saying. 

“I have books on the subject, you can see for yourself, my library is yours to use if you wish.” Harry added, continuing to eat, gesturing for Peter – who seemed to have forgotten – to do the same. 

“Back in the day I would have found what I needed in the Hale library,” Peter mused darkly, “We had collected for generations, we didn’t think of putting any in our vault. Even the rarest of them were in the house when that bitch…” unable to continue, his eyes shining red, claws out as he tried to suppress the animal within him. 

“Soon, Peter, soon,” Harry murmured softly, understanding the all too consuming need for revenge, for vengeance against those who had wronged you. 

“So you’ve been saying,” Peter growled out, unable to reign his wolf in at all. It would not cease its thirst for blood until the culprits were dead and he bathed in their blood. The urge to strangle Harry and go hunt the perpetrators was strong, but even thinking such a thing had his wolf backing down so fast Peter felt as though he had just gotten whiplash. 

“I know,” Harry sighed resignedly. “I had hoped to have caught her by this, but unfortunately she’s off the grid, I can’t use magic to find her unless I have her blood. She’s quite elusive, I spent all night the night before last trying to hunt her down.” nothing on his face gave away any particular feelings on that front. Yet Peter could clearly smell the frustration, anger, embarrassment, and bitterness on the wizard. 

It was obvious he didn’t take failure well. It made Peter feel just a small part ashamed of his reaction, but it was so small it barely even registered over the cacophony of emotions he was feeling. A few days ago though, Peter wouldn’t have sat there and reigned in control, he would have let his wolf do whatever he liked. He wouldn’t have cared about who got in his way of his revenge. 

The potion was doing its job perfectly. 

“The books…from your library…are they still in the house?” Harry asked, his tone pausing as if trying to find the most delicate way to word what he wished to say. Peter was already worked up as it was, this would either suitably distract him or work him up even more. Worse came to the worst he’d just stun him, give him a calming draught, see if it helps any. 

Peter blinked, trying to regain some semblance of control, “I don’t know,” Peter’s voice wavered just thinking about his home. He had seen it, but he hadn’t been inside, the thought of going in there made him feel sick to his stomach. Derek and Laura hadn’t been in the house, hadn’t heard their screams, felt the terror…felt the flames licking against his skin as he struggled to breathe as the pack bonds began to snap one by one as his family died in excruciating agony. Just like remnants of anger left him, and agony took its place, leaving him feeling shaken. 

“You can rebuild the library, rebuild the Hale legacy,” Harry said softly, “It won’t ever bring your family back, but it will ease the pain…and I know it’s what your family would want. For you to thrive, not do something stupid and end up dead. I understand the desire to kill, to avenge, believe me, but going in half cocked is only going to get you killed and leave Derek without an Alpha…” he understood all too well, that was Peter’s job, he was an enforcer, Talia’s left hand. Protect the pack, protect the territory from all enemies. The instincts of a feral and angry wolf, lost in pain. 

Peter became stoic as he listened, Harry thought it was a win, since he was actually listening to him. 

“You’re an Alpha, not a pack enforcer anymore, being an Alpha comes with responsibilities, and those responsibilities isn’t going out fighting and leaving the rest of your pack vulnerable to attack. Negotiating, delegating, and having someone else do the ‘dirty’ work while you keep the rest safe. Fighting head on if it requires it with the rest of your pack surrounding you. Keeping each other safe, fighting for each other, for the betterment of the entire pack.” 

Peter pursed his lips, before grudgingly nodding, it was true, all of it. He’d always been a blunt instrument of justice, politics wasn’t his thing. Yet he knew, he knew if he wanted to be a good Alpha he would have to change who he was fundamentally. The question was…could he do it? He’d always wanted to be an Alpha, he never really contemplated what would happen after he became one. 

“Eat,” Harry said, his tone soft, understanding he had given Peter a lot to think about. 

\-----------0 

Stiles stirred awake, confused momentarily by the feel of something pressed against his chest. Had he fallen asleep with his laptop against his stomach again? Blinking even as he yawned and stretched himself out, he quickly realized that this wasn’t his bedroom. Glancing down he realized Teddy was sprawled out on the makeshift bed they’d created last night. Teddy’s legs propped on Stiles’ chest and his head burrowed next to Derek who was still sleeping, Jimmy was situated on Teddy’s back completely dead to the world. 

Last night came rushing back to him, Jesus Christ on a Pogo Stick, he’d laughed so hard that his chest still slightly ached from it all. Last night had been the best night, ever. He wanted to feel betrayed that Teddy had kept his secret all those years, but he couldn’t. He knew the supernatural world had to be hidden, for their sakes, he could only imagine the entire human race becoming hunters and exterminating them for what they were. It made a shiver of fear and revulsion crawl up his spine. People feared what they didn’t understand, and werewolves would definitely be on that list. 

He too was supernatural now; the hunters would kill him as well. That was why Harry said to keep his abilities a secret. Last night…he had felt included, actually felt like part of a pack despite the fact he couldn’t even think to keep up with them. They’d taken off so fast he’d barely seen anything before they were gone. They didn’t seem to care that he was just ‘human’ as it were, but then again…why would they? Derek had said there were humans in his pack back before Kate Argent killed them, just for what they were. 

Next time he was definitely taking pictures of them, he wanted to remember it forever. Although the pain thing had made him feel a little sick, but a few seconds later they were bounding about like it had never happened. And Harry! Harry was a wolf, he could turn into a wolf…how was he able to do that when he wasn’t even a werewolf? Did it have something to do with magic? Could he change into a wolf? The prospect was a very enticing one. 

Not enticing as the aroma of coffee and food that permeated the air. 

The only way he would know is if he asked, he had so many things he wanted to ask Harry. The best part was, that Harry never turned him away, always took the time to explain no matter what. Even his own dad grew exasperated sometimes, but then again, a lot of that had to do with the fact he was asking about his cases. 

Determinedly wiggling out of the bed, grunting as he misjudged how far, banging his elbow on the table. Carefully using the chair to help him stand, knowing if he didn’t he’d end up sprawling on the others and wakening everyone up. He constantly tripped over his own feet, nothing would surprise him. Rubbing his elbow, trying to diminish the pain, he padded out of the living room, heading for the kitchen where the smell was coming from. 

Only to veer off and head to the toilet when he realized just how desperate he was for a pee! After he was done with his morning ablutions he headed immediately back down. His stomach was rumbling something fierce, oddly enough despite the fact he’d gone to sleep late, he didn’t feel the least bit tired. It had been a long time since he actually got enough sleep to not feel tired the next morning. 

When he opened the door, he stared at the sight in front of him, blinking rapidly. He still hadn’t gotten over the fact that this was the same Peter Hale he had seen that day at the hospital. They couldn’t be more different, the one in the hospital had been so pale, catatonic scarred, old, devoid of life…did he mention catatonic? This one barely looked a day over twenty-five, very, very attractive, and he and Derek were definitely related. They had similar features, cheeks, chin, and alright, both were bloody hotter than the sun. The fact they were both werewolves was inconsequential really. 

The smell of the coffee brought him out of his thoughts as he padded over, with a quiet “Good morning,” he wasn’t sure what to make of Peter Hale, at all. 

“Hey, Kid, how you are feeling?” Harry asked flicking his wand and a plate zoomed out of the cupboard and straight onto the table top. Orange, apple, pomegranate, and milk jugs were already perched in the middle ready for anyone who wanted to use them along with toast and enough food to feed an army. Coffee was made in the large coffee machine in the corner and floated over towards him. 

“You turn into a wolf,” Stiles blurted out, hands wrapping around the coffee cup. 

Peter smirked around his own cup, observing Stiles as he observed everyone he interacted with. It was the same question he had asked Harry as well. 

The empty vial of the potion he had consumed only ten minutes earlier being twirled in his fingers of his left hand absently.

“I can,” Harry confirmed, before eating the remnants of his toast, unbothered by the questions or the gaping look. 

“But you’re not a werewolf?” Stiles questioned, a completely bewildered look on his face. 

“No, I am not,” Harry once again confirmed. 

“But you can shift,” Stiles continued, “Does it have something to do with your magic? Can everyone magical change forms like you? Or is it only you like Teddy can shape shift?” on a roll, only stopping after a few moments to breathe and get answers to them. 

“I can shift, yes,” Harry said slowly, “I do have the ability due to magic, and yes, everyone magical does have the capability.” continuing seeing that Stiles was no doubt about to pound on the fact he said ‘capability’ he had seen the child grow, he knew him well. “Not everyone has the patience or the magic to transform.” 

“Will I be able to transform?” Stiles asked, gold eyes gleaming greedily for information.

“I have no idea,” Harry admitted, drinking his own coffee, noticing Peter sitting up straighter, listening intently now. “It’s something we would need to test out or I’d need to look up information…but if you do have the ability there is no saying that you would be a wolf, you could be anything from a mouse to a giraffe, the shape you become reflects who you are inside at the time of the transformation.” 

“I can help look for information!” Stiles proclaimed seriously, scooping up some food and shovelling it in his mouth, surprised to feel that it was still warm. 

“I’d need a very explicit book on Sparks, I’ve already been searching when I have the time, and have others also reaching out to find all books on the subject. So far, I’ve not heard back, and I’ve had no luck. I believe we’ll need to find a Spark who will be willing to share their experiences. Although, having expectations might lower your capacity, your abilities are supposed to be endless.” Harry explained leaning forward, “But, these people who are assuming these things were Sparks themselves, or perhaps Mages who could only dream of that sort of power…unaware that there was a greater source of power in wizards and witches.” 

Peter’s mind exploded with that information, a Spark, the boy was a bloody spark. No wonder his wolf had not wished to turn him. Sparks were coveted, cherished, desired above all else magical. They were so rare though that a lot of packs didn’t even know what Sparks were. Some were lucky enough to find Mages or disappointing Emissaries. To be fair, it might have just been the Hale pack emissary that Talia had chosen who was a major disappointment. Others might be more loyal to the pack they swear themselves to. 

By the moon, he could imagine what his pack would be like with a spark in it. Powerful. Whole. Undefeatable. Albeit if he gets the training he requires. 

“I have a few contacts that I can get in touch with,” Peter suggested, “None of the packs I knew had sparks, they don’t advertise it, but those we had treaties with trusted us I can still ask around.” His lips twitched at the two sets of speculative suspicious eyes met his wondering at his end game. Which to be fair, he understood and respected that. There was nothing more nauseating than someone so utterly naïve that they thought everyone was kindness and goodness themselves. 

“You may not want to say that until you’re sure you can actually get in touch with them,” Harry pointed out smoothly. “It’s been six years, phone numbers will have changed, some might not be around…the hunters have done a lot of damage.” He admitted green eyes flashing with fury. The Hales was just the first successful one…he honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Peter knew more than his fair share of those who had been murdered.

Peter’s eyes flashed red and his claws emerged, hissing angrily, his fangs descending, before closing his eyes inhaling sharply. Focusing on Harry’s scent, and he immediately felt calmer, just like he had in the hospital and the times after that. Perhaps it wasn’t just solely the potion that was helping him keep a tight reign on his anger and his wolf. 

Stiles watched the scene in front of him while shoveling food in his mouth, gold eyes wide. So focused that he jumped out of his skin when Harry’s phone started blaring. Causing Peter to smirk at him and Stiles to stare indignantly back, he wasn’t afraid of Peter. Well, he told himself he wasn’t anyway. 

“Noah?” Harry answered the call, “Everything alright?” 

Stiles sat up from where he was hunched over, worry bleeding into his scent and on his face. 

“Have you apprehended your suspect yet?” Noah questioned, his voice tense. 

“No, not yet,” Harry asked, closing his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, breathing out, “What’s happened?” he finally asked resignedly. 

“We found a similar kill, only they weren’t cut in half.” Noah explained shakily. “They might have been interrupted.” 

Peter narrowed his eyes, blatantly listening in on the conversation. 

“Call Scott, NOW!” Harry demanded as he held the phone against his chest, preventing any noise from getting through to the other end. 

With shaky hands, Stiles did as he was told, almost bowling over in relief when he heard Scott’s voice. “He’s fine. You’re fine.” He choked out, relief flowing through him. He hadn’t been scared like that for years. “I’ll call you back,” not even waiting to hear Scott say anything else. Shaky and disorientated he concentrated on breathing and not having a panic attack. 

Harry glanced at Peter confused, both wondering what the hell had happened. 

“Harry?” came Noah’s voice through the phone. 

“It could have been an Omega passing through,” Peter suggested. Both under the impression that the Argents had killed another werewolf. Most hunters actually cleaned up after themselves, unless they were making a statement. 

“Where are you?” Harry questioned, upon hearing the reply he quickly stated, “I’ll meet you there.” His eyes going cold, gripping Stiles’ neck tightly, which seemed to ease the symptoms of Stiles’ panic attack. He hung up the phone without a goodbye. “Alright?” he asked, despite his obvious anger, his tone was soothing. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Stiles murmured, his chest still felt tight, constricted but he wasn’t feeling panicked anymore. 

“Good, I have to go, stay here, read the books I’ve suggested, and if I am back before your curfew we will begin basic training.” Harry promised, and it’s a promise he would keep. He had been too busy to help Stiles except with one basic way, mountain ash circle and giving him weapons. Fortunately, the worst of it was over, there wasn’t a feral Alpha in Beacon Hills anymore. Just an angry, vengeance driven one who was coming to realize he didn’t have to do it alone or with a reluctant Beta. Once he had Argent in hand, all would go smoothly, he just needed to find the bitch. 

“Make sure Teddy and Jimmy get these potions,” Harry said, placing them in the middle, “They won’t want to eat, but try and make sure they eat a little. They will be grouch and in pain, its normal after the full moon, do not lose patience with them.” He warned Peter. 

Peter swallowed thickly, he was being trusted with all Harry held dear. Or being tested? Either way he knew if anything happened he wouldn’t survive the night. It was written plainly over Harry’s face, and his own instincts were screaming that this predator meant business. Giving a tight nod of agreement to the terms laid out and the unspoken ones in his eyes that passed between just him and Harry. 

Considering how bright Stiles was…from what he’d seen…he honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he had caught on too. 

Stiles caught on to the look Peter was giving Harry’s retreating backside which made him choke on his cappuccino. Oh boy. 

As Harry left, he noticed that Derek wasn’t there, a sigh left his lips, shaking his head sadly. It must have been a bit too much for him to handle after all. Guilt whether it was deserved or not, wasn’t easily shaken he knew. It would get easier with time. He just didn’t understand why Laura hadn’t gotten him the help he needed. 

It seemed he may have to be the one to do it. Thankfully he knew quite a few people who could talk to Derek about his past without him having to omit details of the supernatural. The question was…would Derek be willing to do it? He had to want to talk to someone about it for any headway to be gotten. 

 

\---------------0

 

So...you still don't know who died that's because my other story Predators of the moon won't have a bitten Scott OR Jackson becoming a Kanima which is something I actually want to explore in one of my stories so I've decided this one might be best! Will we see Lydia coming to her own as a Banshee through inheritance not the bite? Or will she be bitten by one of the Alphas? Which means it can't be either Jackson or the stalker that gets killed...so who will it be? a random hunter? a throw away character OR someone from the series? Like Greenberg or Danny or yep that's me ran out of names LOL Read and Review please!


	17. Chapter 17

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 17

February 8th Tuesday (Day After the Full Moon) 

Peter remained in the kitchen, deciding to do some reading, while he waited on the boys waking up. Occasionally he would glance at the clock on the wall, torn between wakening them up or letting them sleep in as the morning wore on. It was already the afternoon, just gone passed twelve o’clock. Nobody he knew had ever slept quite so late into the day, his pack had all been early risers. It was hard not to be, when the first person who gets up inevitably roused everyone too. Their delicate hearing jerking them awake at the first light sounds. 

Shaking off his thoughts, which was getting easier to do as the days passed. Days ago, he would get lost in thoughts for what felt like decades. Usually vividly remembering what had happened to his pack, and the fire. Quite frankly he wanted to know exactly what was in that potion. 

Which was what he had in his hands, a book regarding potions, properties and the ailments they cure. Unfortunately, while the book while informative, wasn’t quite what he was looking for. A Beautification potion, which by the way doesn’t exactly beautify you, so the book said. A wart remover, which would be handy for pre-teens he summarised. Doxycide, a potion that stunned Doxy’s! There was even a picture of them and it was the oddest thing he’d ever seen. Laughing potion, which Peter declared utterly useless, until he realized it didn’t wear off until an anti-serum was administered, which could be lethal. It was an inconspicuous way to kill someone if he had a mind, which he did of course, he was at heart an enforcer. He would never lose the penchant for gathering information or ways to take care of any and all threats that come into his territory. 

He had just begun to lose himself in quite a fascinating potion, one called Felix Felicis or Liquid Luck as it was also known. Now if there was ever a potion he had a desire to get his hands on, it would be that one. Although the dire warnings did provide him with the seriousness of such a potion being consumed. Groans alerted him to the boys finally wakening up, they sounded quite ill, he would have been concerned if he hadn’t been forewarned already a few times. After all he didn’t want them sick on his watch! He rather valued his life after all. 

Standing up, he put the book face down on the counter and moved to the oven and took out the still warm breakfast. He idly wondered how long the food would remain warm for, something else to find out. He would probably be reading for a long time to come and still be surprised. He placed the plates of food on the table before reclaiming his seat as the boys made their way through. 

“Where’s dad?” Teddy asked, very surprised that his dad wasn’t here. 

“He had an urgent call this morning and had to leave,” Peter explained, eyeing both of them with hidden concern. Both of them were walking like they’d just spent a month being tortured. He’d seen old men walking quicker. “He has asked that I ensure you take your potions and eat your breakfast.” 

Teddy grimaced, he wasn’t in the mood for food, and the potion didn’t help that either. 

“Take my hand,” Peter demanded, holding his out aloft, his red eyes glowing under the surface of his natural blue eyes. 

Teddy arched an eyebrow, very similar to his dad when he was quietly annoyed by something. “Why?” 

Peter wanted to demand again, but it seemed his Alpha tone didn’t quite work the same way with these werewolves. Even Derek would have sought to obey his Alpha, but he wondered to himself, would it have been instinct born out of obeying his Alpha all his life or an instinctual desire to please his Alpha? Another difference between them he slotted away for further examination.

Not that Derek was his Beta, not yet, the bond wasn’t fully there yet, Derek still had some reservations about it. Not that he could blame him, he had killed Laura and Derek would never forgive him for that. He doubted he would be able to forgive himself at the end of the day. 

Curious gold eyes gleamed, before he held his hand out, cocked a little.

Peter curled his fingers around Teddy’s before gently beginning to remove the pain. Black veins ran up his arm and disappearing into his clothes. Completely ignoring he sharp inhales of shock at his actions. Peter had to stop himself gasping at the feel of the pain that Teddy was experiencing. He felt as though his bones were being repeatedly broken with sledgehammers before being put back together again. The burning muscles made him want to very nearly pull back and forget about helping them. He didn’t like any reminder of the fire, not even small ones. But he also didn’t want his Beta (whether he reacted the same or not) in pain. He was an Alpha, it was his duty to look after his pack, this he knew, and could do very well. The rest wouldn’t come as easily though. 

“How did you do that?” Teddy whispered gruffly, the pain was completely gone, to top it off he actually found he had an appetite. Even with the potion he took he never felt like eating the morning after the full moon. Even the earache he’d got last night while chasing Derek up a tree was gone. 

“It’s one of our abilities,” Peter explained, extending his hand for Jimmy, who shyly handed his trembling hand over. 

“Did you transfer the pain to yourself? Does it still hurt? How long does it hurt for?” Teddy asked, able to watch more closely since he wasn’t on the receiving end. It looked kind of freaky, seeing the black veins running up someone’s arm. “Does it poison you?” it looked like it poisoned the person doing the pain drain as he decided to call it. 

“It’s negligible in the transfer, the pain fades almost immediately afterwards,” Peter explained, in his usual smug tone. Although if Derek was there, he would have observed that it was toned down, quite significantly. It was nice to know that they could be just a stymied about them as he was of their kind. “I am surprised you don’t know about this, haven’t you read up on us?” he queried. Finding himself honestly curious, it had been a long time since he’d had a conversation of an honest sort. Letting go off Jimmy’s hand, giving a small genuine smile at the croaked ‘Thank you’ he received from the shy boy. 

“Dad only found the books a few months ago,” Teddy explained around a mouthful of food. “He’s been looking for them for ages, even then not everything would be revealed in the books. We don’t have a habit of giving too much details.” 

“I see,” Peter mused, “So you have yet to come across books that remain in the family? As a guide of sort for future generations.” They were collective called the family history, each Hale had written in one at one point or another. Now they were charred remains in a burnt down property already been condemned. 

“You mean similar to a grimoire?” Jimmy asked, so curious which was what the usual ‘guides’ for future generations actually meant to a wizard. 

“No, no spells, they can’t use them remember,” Teddy shook his head, “It’s an actual guide to werewolfism,” 

Jimmy snorted at the word Teddy used. Meanwhile Peter shook his head, more resigned than anything, his lips betrayed him as they twitched. 

“I don’t know everything, I haven’t had a chance to read it,” Teddy confessed scooting his chair closer as he stared. “When I get home the last thing I want to do is read books,” he sheepishly admitted, he ignored Jimmy’s snort of disbelief. “After the full moon.” He threw at Jimmy, explaining what he actually meant. 

Jimmy sheepishly grinned, it was difficult to get Teddy out of the library, he was the biggest reader, ever. How he managed to end up in Gryffindor he honestly didn’t know. The hat should have yelled Ravenclaw right after landing on his head. He’d seen the pictures of Teddy growing up, at least half of them had a book in it or nearby. He was such a bookworm. The Full Moon took a lot out of them though, he acknowledged. Even with the potions, they were normally tired and grouchy as hell all day the next day. Today was the first time (admittedly he hadn’t been through anywhere near as many as Teddy) he actually felt normal the day after. It was great. Liberating. There weren’t enough words in the dictionary to arcuately explain how he felt right now. If Peter wasn’t quite 

“I want to hear everything from someone who can arcuately explain it, not from a book that’s published for the masses.” Teddy continued on a roll, “Half the time the information is outdated or wrong, dad explained that only two werewolves of your kind recently has been known to turn into wolf form.” Reminding that Derek had actually confirmed it last night. 

“Speaking off that, would you do me the honour of informing me of the title of the book that deals with…shifted werewolves?” Peter asked politely. Full-shift, they called it, Talia had three ‘shifts’ her ‘Beta’ shift, Alpha shift and full-shift. “If you have read it yourself,” but he assumed so, since it was quite readily evident that Teddy seemed to like reading. 

“I’ll get it!” Teddy declared before flouncing off, he felt great! He was going to enjoy it while it lasted. He would never take the pain drain thing for granted, but it was wonderful, so much better than potions. Didn’t leave him groggy or anything afterward, so he could enjoy his day. 

“Which strain of Lycanthrope do you think would win out? If someone was bitten twice?” Jimmy asked, almost absently, as though he wasn’t really there, but lost in his own thought. 

Peter frowned at the question, “Considering your type of Lycan was here before ours, I would say yours is the purer strain of the two. I can understand the allure of having more advantages, but do not do anything you might regret. Not everyone survives the bite.” Something he had learned the hard way, before Paige died of it, he’d never known anyone to die from the bite. He supposed that overtime, the strain had mutated into what it was today, he was quite fascinated in finding out the truth if it was possible. 

“Here, this is it,” Teddy returned all beaming smiles and happiness, very different from how he had been just twenty minutes prior. 

To Peter’s shock and surprise the teen threw his arms around him, hugging him. Peter swallowed thickly. It had been so long since he had been voluntary touched. Closing his eyes, he returned the affection, unable to help himself. He was so starved for any sort of touch, ones that were not clinical, harsh or uncaring. The small touches he got from Harry weren’t enough. Not to make up for six years without pack, without care. 

He was able to stop the pitiful whine leaving his throat as Teddy extracted himself, still smiling before grabbing a drink and leaving the kitchen with a friendly wave. He would never have lived down the humiliation and embarrassment of whining like a pup for attention. 

Jimmy followed behind him at a more sedate pace.

Peter breathed in, the scents on the book told him that Derek had read it recently. His imprint may be three or four days old if that. Speaking of Derek, he hadn’t even stayed for breakfast, but then again, he was surprised he stayed for the full moon. He will have wanted to get to Cora as soon as possible. He would have done too if he thought his presence would have been welcomed. 

\----------0 

Harry flashed his badge at the deputy standing behind the police tape, the young man nodded and lifted the tape to allow Harry entrance to the crime scene. “Thank you,” he informed the young green deputy. Stalking towards Noah with grimness, feeling alert and quite worried if he was honest. 

“Noah,” Harry nodded in greeting, glancing briefly at the body which was covered by a sheet, his eyes closed, it was a kid. The shape around the sheet was all wrong for it to be a full-grown adult. Either that or a woman who was on the short side. “Do you know who it is yet?” small towns always knew each other, well as long as they didn’t live on the outskirts then it wasn’t so easy to know everything. 

“Her name is Danielle Lewis, she attended Devenford Prep,” Noah said, a pained look on his face, “She was sixteen years old, her best friend Heather Clark, attends Beacon Hills high, called concerned because she hadn’t called to let her know she got home safely. It wasn’t long before we had concerned parents getting in touch.” 

“Any known changes in her recently?” Harry enquired as he knelt on one knee and lifted the sheet to see for himself. She was wearing what used to be a white shirt and a purple sweater with the school crest on it presumably. Khaki skirt, she’d been viciously and violently attacked. She hadn’t stood a chance. Harry glanced around before using magic to pull any loose hairs from her and blood. 

“Her parents said on the phone that she was her normal bubbly self,” Noah informed him, not standing near – he didn’t want to see it again. It brought it to home that this could have very well been his son. He rarely dealt with deaths, it was a quiet town for goodness sake. Nonetheless, you could never tell he was affected by it. He just had a grim countenance, nothing that belayed any worry and fears.

“Have you slept at all?” Harry asked as he lowered the sheet to stare at Noah just as grim as he looked. 

“A while, I got called in two hours after I clocked out,” Noah admitted, glad Stiles had been away. This sort of thing would have been a moth to the flame for his mischievous son. He had already seen Laura Hale at her worst, without causing any phycological scarring, nothing would surprise him if Stiles became an officer of the law when he was older. 

“Get her back to the station, have her autopsied and while that happens, you get some bloody sleep.” Harry stated firmly. “You’re no good to anyone if you miss vital pieces of evidence because you’re dead tired.” Knowing this was the best way to get to the stubborn man. You’d think he’d know where his son got his stubbornness from. 

“After we’ve catalogued the crime scene and talked to everyone who might have seen anything,” Noah retorted stubbornly. 

“Then I’ll tell your son you’ve been up all night, binging on burgers,” Harry stood smugly, giving Noah who looked aghast at his suggest. 

“You wouldn’t!” Noah gaped, his son would have him on salads until judgement day. 

Harry just stared at him, “This is my case Noah, I’d say it was the same person who killed Laura Hale that did this.” He lied through his teeth. She’d been attacked by a werewolf alright, just not Peter Hale. “Believe me she will pay for this; the victim must have seen something…it’s the only reason I can think of for her to be attacked by my suspect. Which means there might be another body somewhere nearby.” 

Noah just breathed out, a life snuffed out because she’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time. It felt all sort of wrong, it truly did. “I’ll have the dogs sent out to search with some men,” he told Harry, giving the medical examiner and his assistant the go ahead to remove the body. 

“Did you speak to Mrs. McCall?” Harry asked, as he let the men move the body onto a stretcher for transportation. 

Noah grimaced, “I did,” it hadn’t been pretty at all, she’d been furious. Which was why he was not surprised that the boy hadn’t been around for the past few days. Melissa had obviously grounded Scott. 

“Good,” Harry replied, it might explain why he hadn’t come for the full moon. Still, to have remained in his mothers’ house could have proven dangerous. He would need to speak to Scott about the true dangers of the full moons. In a way that would get though to the stubborn werewolf. He had an anchor though, which would keep him safe for the time being. What he really needed was a Pack and considering the Hale pack was obviously not somewhere Scott wanted to be. He would need to get in touch with Satomi to see if she would welcome the Omega. 

Or have Peter do it. Align himself to Satomi and begin the negotiations for alliances. 

“Get some rest, I’ll have Stiles bring some food around at tea time for both of you,” Harry told him, patting the exhausted human on the back. 

Noah perked up at that, all the food he got from Harry was delicious. Stiles often brought food back with him after being there. Oh, Harry wasn’t always friendly and nice, he knew that better than most. Five years ago, Harry had threatened to take Stiles from him, back when he had been drinking heavily. Noah had actually believed him, it was what helped him wean off the alcohol, he still drank, but not all the time and not heavily. Although there were times – like right now – where he wanted to. Sometimes Harry was there for Stiles more than him, which caused him to feel so much regret and heartache. “Alright,” he agreed, moving over to his cruiser, he called in for the dogs to search the area. Giving them Harry’s number to contact him if anything was found. 

Harry meanwhile called Derek, hoping he would help him find the Omega werewolf who was on Hale territory right now. He couldn’t ask Peter, since he was meant to be in the UK getting treatment to get rid of his scars. The scent wouldn’t linger forever, so the quicker he got him down here the better. 

Unfortunately, he wasn’t answering his phone. 

He tried three more times, all to no avail. 

Harry groaned, seriously, he was going to have to prioritise. Right now, the Omega wasn’t his only problem, he had to get Kate Argent brought in. He needed to focus, Kate Argent, he had made a promise if he didn’t get her he’d ask for MACUSA’s help, and he’d keep it. He didn’t think Peter would last much longer before hunting her down himself if he didn’t get his ass into gear. He’d continue to try Derek in the meantime. 

\------------0 

When Harry returned home at one o’clock, he could smell food being cooked. Going into the living room to find Teddy, Stiles and Jimmy immersed in homework – in Stiles case a book on magic. He blinked at the sight, Teddy never did homework, not on days after the full moon. Wandering over he cupped their chins, scent marking them, “How are you both feeling?” he asked as he crouched by the sofa to see them properly. 

“DAD! I feel great! Did you know that type two Lycans can drain pain from people? It’s awesome! I haven’t been sore since! It’s better than the potion! It causes black veins to run up their hand, and it disappears in the transfer,” Teddy exclaimed eagerly, “I was actually able to eat this morning! Can Peter stay please?” 

Harry grinned in amusement, rubbing Stiles head in greeting as well, “We’ll see,” he informed them, pleased by what he was hearing. Just seeing them made his bleak mood lift a little. “Have you eaten lunch?” 

“Peter’s making something,” Teddy shook his head, “It smells good,” he admitted. 

“Remember to be polite,” Harry warned them, before he stood, and walked out of the living room to find Peter. 

“Do you know where Derek is?” Harry asked, it had been hours since anyone saw him. “He’s not answering his phone, does he make a habit of…” wincing when he realized what he said, “Sorry,” of course he wouldn’t know. He’d been in a coma for six years, and in that time, people did tend to change. 

“He should be able to hear it even if its on silent,” Peter told him, it emitted electronic sounds even on silent. “Perhaps he’s busy talking to Cora?” he suggested, his sister would take up all his attention. 

“There’s only one problem with that,” Harry informed him, “He doesn’t know yet, I haven’t told him, and he cannot get into my potions lab to find it.” He had to ensure the werewolf would remain until after the full moon. 

Peter frowned, “Perhaps he’s gone for something to eat, or a run,” he often did as a teenager when he was feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps last night had been just that for him, he often needed time to reflect. After Paige he’d run himself to the ground, as though he was trying to physically punish himself for what happened. Which was impossible, of course, but didn’t stop his attempts. 

“How is he feeling?” Harry asked. 

Peter gave him a blank look. 

“Though the pack bonds,” Harry elaborated. 

Peter pursed his lips, a dark look on his face, “We have a familial pack bond, but Derek hasn’t accepted himself as my Beta.” Hadn’t submitted to him as a Beta would an Alpha. 

“I see,” Harry replied, perhaps Derek didn’t plan on sticking around. Then again, why would he? He had lost his entire family here for which he felt responsible. Then his sister not too long ago, this place held so many good and bad memories for him it must be heart-breaking. Still, it didn’t change the fact he needed an Alpha. 

“I wouldn’t be able to find him with the pack bonds anyway,” Peter revealed. “To feel Derek, I would need a strong bond with him, which he and I will never have I shouldn’t think.” Derek would never fully trust him. “I will try and contact a few packs, any one of them would be happy to take Derek into their packs if he wishes.” Ones he trusted impeccably to look after Derek properly and give him the pack he needs. 

“Having a magic user changes that,” Harry explained, “It strengthens the pack bonds beyond measure, you won’t only be able to feel them but locate them unless they break the bonds and leave.” Which isn’t something anyone would want to do given the security and safety one has in a pack with a magic user. 

“Talia never had that, and she had an emissary, a druid,” Peter pointed out, not discarding Harry’s word but not fully believing it yet. She would have been there the moment Derek began to panic when Ennis bit Paige. Not find her son hours later after he had been forced to snap Paige’s neck out of guilt to end her pain instead of watching her die excruciatingly. 

Harry scoffed, “Deaton barely has enough magic to do basic rituals, tying himself to a pack would have heightened it a little. Out of the deal Deaton was probably getting the upper hand.” Harry’s lips curled as he spoke his distaste clear. Going to the fridge he grabbed a bottle of Pepsi, opening it and drinking deeply from it. “What happened to your family wouldn’t have…if you had a proper magic user. There would have been wards around your property, your territory, that would have alerted you to more than one person being in the vicinity, knowing there was five would have them flaring in emergency depending on the wards he or she would have put up. That wouldn’t have been ignored, thus you wouldn’t have ended up trapped.” He ignored the claws and flashing eyes, understanding Peter’s anger. 

“Why did you call Derek?” Peter breathed through the anger, asking one question he was sure would distract him from the desire to kill Deaton. 

“A sixteen-year-old girl was attacked, definitely a werewolf,” Harry explained, “I had hoped to use Derek to find his or her scent, stop it quickly before it hurts anyone else. It was a fanatic attack, bordering on feral I would say, but it’s difficult to accurately predict something like that.” 

“And your first thought wasn’t McCall?” Peter asked, mostly in gest. 

“He has a stable anchor, which should help him until he finds a pack,” Harry sighed, leaning against the counter. “He will need one, in less than a year otherwise he will go feral, anchor or not. I need to sit him down and explain everything, so he will understand what could happen. I am hoping he will listen to me. Regretfully he just doesn’t seem to want that help. All he seems interested in is Allison Argent, even his so called best friend doesn’t seem to cut into the equation with McCall.” 

Peter said nothing about the fact Stiles was eavesdropping on the conversation. “I’m surprised he hasn’t given himself away yet. The Argent’s won’t hesitate to cut him in half and bury his body, innocent or not.” 

Harry snorted, “He’s already been attacked by the Argent’s, if Derek hadn’t been on the scene, Scott would already be dead. All he was doing at the time was running through the forest, in Beta shift, clearly not the Alpha they were looking for.” he gave a pointed look to Peter. 

“Nothing surprises me, not when it comes to what the Argents are capable of,” Peter admitted darkly, red eyes gleaming forebodingly. Standing up, he began to stir the stew that was cooking in the slow cooker. Needing something to do, anything really to stop himself going mad. 

“I have to go out, tell Derek to call me when he gets back,” Harry requested, if he had no luck in the next hour he was off to MACUSA. Beacon Hills might not be a big town with a high population, but it was still a lot of ground to cover. A great deal of it was forest, a perfect place for a werewolf pack really. 

Alright, time to go back to where it all began, the hunters would be converging around the Hale property and its surroundings looking for the ‘Alpha’ who they were pretending not to know. Either that or near the hospital if they were getting anxious to capture him. 

Standing at the door he removed his wand and tapped his head, feeling the magic shimmering down making him invisible. He smirked hearing the sharp inhale of breath from Peter at his disappearing act. “Bye,” with that Harry apparated to the porch of the Hale property. 

Only to jump out of his skin when he heard a roar of pain, what the fuck? That sound was very familiar to him, it’s the ones his godson made when he began turning into his wolf form. When he was in very severe pain. 

There was a werewolf in pain nearby. 

The hunters potentially had already found the Omega, but considering Derek was missing…he was taking no chances. Nobody deserved to be tortured anyway, not for something that may be beyond their control. Perhaps Peter had bitten someone else…he hadn’t seen anything in the memories to indicate he had though. 

Another roar of pain, had him acting immediately, “Find me Derek Hale,” Harry whispered softly, wondering if it would work. That roar tapered off as soon as he said Derek’s name. 

Harry followed the gentle tugging, confused as to why it was leading him away from where it sounded the loudest. Yet trusting his magic to know what it was doing, he moved in the direction it was guiding him. 

Fuck, the tunnels under the Hale house, if this was Derek he was going to kill someone. This was the very spot his entire family had perished, most of them had been stuck down in the old escape tunnels. Shaking off his anger, he began to slowly and silently make his way towards the roars, which were significantly louder the closer he got. 

The moment he stepped foot in the room anger nearly overwhelmed him completely. Derek was being tortured by electricity, attached to a fence. It wasn’t enough what she had done? He zeroed in on the young girl, she looked absolutely terrified. 

Growling under his breath, only to see Derek glance his way with those blue eyes of his, confusion etched upon his face. As soon as Kate Argent turned her back, Harry removed his wand again, compelling the girl to leave, to run back home. 

Once she was out of the room, Harry put a silencing spell around it, before the anger he’d been tampering down came back in full force. “Crucio!” he hissed, as the other spells he had on himself broke down revealing himself for the first time. 

Harry kept the spell on Argent as he switched off the electricity, before flicking his hand causing the restraints to come away. Harry managed to grab hold of Derek, let him lean against him until he gathered himself. “I’m sorry,” he whispered quietly, removing the spell from Argent for a moment. 

Derek swallowed, still trembling and dizzy, “Why would you be sorry?” he asked, his voice weak and croaky due to his near constant roaring for hours after being captured by Kate. Watching in fascinating as the spell was recast. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, hurting his eardrums in the process. Writhing in agony, scratching at herself as if she was hoping to scratch the pain away. Spasm after spasm wracked her body. He couldn’t find it in himself to feel sorry for her. He was grateful for Harry’s solid strength otherwise he wouldn’t be able to stand right now. The hardened part of him was grateful he was getting to see this. Until he grimaced at the smell of ammonia wafting through the air. She had wet herself. 

“I should have caught her already,” Harry said darkly, squeezing Derek’s neck, he didn’t apologise for not getting there sooner since he hadn’t even known Derek was missing. “See, this happens when you tend to fuck off on your own. Nobody even knew you were missing.” He reprimanded the werewolf. 

Derek couldn’t help but chuff in amusement at Harry’s words. 

The spell was removed, and Kate just lay there, breathing heavily, tears pouring down her face. Her make-up badly smudged. Unable to find the strength to even move a muscle let alone defend herself against anything or anyone. She didn’t even try to glance around the room for her niece. 

Allison Argent was running home without once stopping, not for anything. She was so angry with her parents for keeping this from her. Shocked at her aunt’s actions, not sure what to make of it. 

“I cannot bring her to the House, Peter will kill her, and I’m not having my son and his friend seeing that and she does need to be questioned first. So, either I can have Stiles come and pick you up or I can give you a Portkey which will teleport you home. What will it be?” Harry questioned, before adding as a purely afterthought. “Or you can come with me to MACUSA, see how securely she will be held for yourself.” Realizing it might be good for him to see her taken away with his own eyes. 

Realizing how much he wanted to see this concluded, he murmured, “I’d like to come,” his brow furrowing as if it caused him physical pain to admit it. 

“Okay, then let’s go,” Harry agreed, putting his hand into his pocket, all the way to the elbow rummaging around until he found what he was looking for. Bringing them out with a good natural exclamation of ‘ahah!’ the handcuffs looked normal, but they weren’t – Derek noticed they were imbedded with runes. 

Moving over to the pathetic woman, now curled up in a ball riding out the pain. He was not gentle as he gruffly spoke, while turning her onto her stomach and cuffing her hands behind her back. The runes glowed blue as they worked. “Kate Argent you are under arrest for seventy-nine counts of murder, you don’t have to say anything in your defence, during your trial you’ll be given an opportunity to give your statement, you are not entitled to legal representation, thus one will not be appointed to you by the council of magic. Do you understand?” 

Harry received no reply, either she was too much in shock or deliberately ignoring him. Either way Harry wasn’t having it, he grabbed her shoulder and hoisted her to her feet, which shook from under her. “Wrap yourself around me, close your eyes, and take a deep breath, when you open them we will be in MACUSA.” Harry delivered his order with seriousness, but his eyes were soft and reassuring, letting him know without words that he (Derek) could trust him. Grunting as he tightly held Argent up, her legs unable to take her weight. 

Derek very awkwardly wrapped himself against the wizard, not used to going into anyone’s personal space anymore or having anyone do the same to him. He relaxed quite quickly at the familiar scent filling his nose, equating it with safety, pack, home, family and more importantly Alpha. Tightening his hold pressing his chest to Harry’s back, just relishing in ‘Alpha’ he closed his eyes and held his breath. 

The next moment Harry apparated them away from Beacon Hills. 

Meanwhile back home at Harry’s, Stiles felt his phone slip from his fingers as Scott blabbed about ‘feeling like he’d killed someone that the ‘Alpha’ aka ‘Peter’ had made him. Unaware that Stiles had spent all night in the company of Peter Hale who hadn’t so much as howled or shifted unlike Derek who spent most of the night in Beta shift. 

\----------0 

Yes, Kate has introduced Allison to the supernatural early, bear in mind that it’s only four days! In fact, it may only be three days if I’ve got the timeline right. I don’t want everything to be the same anyway, I don’t see the point to writing something that’s exactly like the TV series/books etc… Will Stiles become a werewolf? And If he does he won’t lose his spark btw that’s like Remus or Teddy losing their magic becoming a werewolf in this one :D Or will he be happy to be the human with special abilities? Learning what he can from Harry who helps him become an animagus? Will Derek and Stiles officially join the Hale pack? Or will Stiles stick with Scott for a time before he realizes he can’t keep splitting his loyalties? After all Teddy and Jimmy have joined Peter they see him as an Alpha as much as they see Harry as one! Read and Review please!


	18. Chapter 18

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 18 

Derek’s eyes popped open, a grimace on his face, as he stopped himself from shifting. He did not like magical transportation he decided, at all. He had felt as though he was about to choke, the squeezing sensation had not helped matters either. The sound was probably the worst of it all. The almighty pop had sounded like he was in the centre of a thunderstorm. His ears were still ringing as he took in the sight in front of him, his jaw hanging open as he stared in shock. 

There were people rushing around, odd attires on, small creatures working some sort of lift, that was most assuredly different from every lift he’d ever seen. It didn’t look safe, but worked quite well, by the looks of it and nobody seemed to be worried as handfuls of people got into them at any given time. Odd contraptions hanging everywhere, including a large map of America with lines marked through it. 

Dozens of desks lined this floor, as they all worked, paperwork zooming back and forth, his jaw dropped in astonishment seeing the paperwork curl itself into the shape of a mouse before another shredded it before unfolding and taking its place. That was not all, paper airplanes did much the same, and the wizards and witches (he was assuming that’s what they were) were checking out their new correspondence. 

Oddest of all, nobody seemed to even be perturbed by the fact he was there. 

“Welcome to MACUSA,” Harry said with a fond smile, enjoying the look of surprise on Derek’s face, he was much too serious most of the time. He looked his age right now, as he took in the wonderment around him. he was suddenly glad he had brought Derek, so he could experience this part of the supernatural world. 

If Derek hadn’t been aware of what MACUSA meant, he would have understood right now. For there was a massive painting on the wall, with the symbol of MACUSA as well as the words on the outer circle. There was a lot of gold (both colour and the metal) wherever he looked. It was extremely fascinating, and he could have watched everything for hours. The place smelt so sterile and clean too. “It’s very…clean,” Derek eventually said, only remembering he and Harry hadn’t come alone when he glanced at Harry, only to see him holding Kate Argent up who was unconscious. 

“Our cleaning charms remove up to 100% of scents, dirt and bacteria,” Harry explained as he put the unconscious criminal on a stretcher. “Leaving only our natural scents behind as well as any smells we incur until the charm is cast again, it gets cleaned at least twice a day.” Most wizards and witches preferred working in clean and tidy places. The only time anything was remotely untidy was when they were busy, and it was usually just a pile of paperwork strewn everywhere. 

“Where are we exactly?” Derek asked, there was no windows for him to get a glimpse of any landscape. 

“New York,” Harry explained, “Woolworth building, the reason for the cuffs is because if I had attempted to bring her here, she would have ended up split from us. There are charms on this building that stops mundane people from seeing us. It’s like two different buildings taking up the same space. Mundane people see something different,” it was nice to have confirmation that Derek had enough magic to see this place. 

“I…think I’ve passed this place,” Derek murmured in awe, he had lived in New York for six years after all, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. 

“It’s amazing what you miss by not paying much attention isn’t it?” Harry said wryly, wondering if he had paid attention that he could have ended up in MACUSA itself. Not that it mattered, there was really no point to the whole wondering thing. “Come on, let’s get her processed,” 

“I think Peter would love to see this,” Derek confessed. He was always fascinated when he learnt or experienced something new, especially when he didn’t know much about the subject matter.

“He will,” Harry assured him, “I’ve been told you aren’t Peter’s Beta, is it because you have no intention of sticking around Beacon Hills or because you don’t trust him?” informing the House-elf where he wished to go, as all three of them entered the lift, his attention still primarily focused on Derek. He had yet to tell Derek where Cora actually was, the tracking he’d done on her would help Derek find her. He’d promised to do so after the full moon, but Derek had disappeared after it before he could tell him. The results were still locked up down in the potions lab. 

Derek’s face looked pained, but he scowled after a few minutes and refused to say anything, remaining mute. How could he tell a human wizard that he was his Alpha? It sounded ridiculous, humans – magical or otherwise – weren’t usually Alpha’s and it wasn’t just someone he picked. Harry had the voice on his side too, he reacted viscerally towards it. Even Scott did, and he hadn’t been Harry’s Beta – merely chosen – at the time. He hadn’t submitted to Harry, which was the usual way one became a Beta to an Alpha. Which just confused him further, he shared a bond with his Alpha, a very simple one, obviously Harry didn’t feel it back. 

Perhaps he should ask Peter about it, but if he asked then Peter would figure it out within minutes. Peter was just too smart, too crafty for him to get away with asking him those sorts of questions. Honestly, he was like a bloodhound, at the first sign of blood – weakness in Peter’s case – he pounded and refused to give up until he had his answers. 

Derek watched in utter fascination as Harry cast some sort of mist spell, that quickly took the shape of a wolf and sailed off. He easily kept it within his line of sight until it disappeared out of sight. He couldn’t help but wonder exactly what it did, and why it was cast. Yet his attention was caught by yet more fascinating information, there were wand registration desks, foreign relation desks, by the Moon this was truly a government setting, he realized as he noticed more and more signs indicating certain departments. 

Eventually the elevator came to a stop, and there were three people waiting on them. All of them tense and alert, the smell permeating the air around the elevator. It caused Derek to tense his wolf rising to the forefront sensing danger, a growl was trapped in his throat. He must have made some sort of displeased noise, or Harry did sense the alpha bond to him just didn’t realize what it was. 

“They aren’t here for you, Derek, calm down,” Harry said, nudging Derek’s shoulder with his hand, giving him a reassure squeeze. As soon as they stepped off the lift, the two Aurors took Kate Argent between them, the stretcher spell dissipating now it wasn’t needed. “Can you get a House-elf to bring up some water and a few roast beef sandwiches, please?” 

“Of course,” Donovan agreed without question, “Are you both alright?” he could see the subtle shaking of both the No-Maj and Derek Hale who he had only seen through the Floo Network. He seemed to have calmed a bit, didn’t look ready to rip someone’s head off with that glare of his, this time. Considering what this No-Maj had done to his family, he couldn’t say he was surprised that he’d calm down with her finally caught. He couldn’t say he was surprised by the Patronus message from Harry, stating he’d found the woman. 

“I’m fine,” Harry stated immediately, talking over Derek who had insisted he was too, “She was torturing him, we can add abduction and torture onto her never-ending list.” The scowl on his face spoke of a protective and possessive kind of affection Harry held for Derek. None of this surprised Donovan, Harry loathed people like Kate Argent, and went all out to ensure justice was served, even if he had to kill instead of apprehending his suspect in order to achieve it. Thankfully he preferred them captured and suffering than dead. 

“Ah, that explains the food,” Donovan replied, he had read everything he could get on them, which wasn’t much considering the entire archive of books they had stored in the building. “Follow me, you can both wait in my office until we gather the council. My office is only around the corner.” He added purely for Derek’s benefit. He didn’t look ready to fall over thankfully, but he wasn’t unaffected as he liked to try and appear. 

Derek followed them feeling very much out of his depth, this was a whole new world for him. Sure, it was fascinating, but also very intimidating. He ached in the very bones of him, he was very thirsty, his throat hurt, and he just wanted to rest and heal after the damage Argent done. Yet another part of him that the fire hadn’t snuffed out completely was so very curious to see everything he could. To also see Kate Argent brought to justice at long last. Six years she’d gotten off for, well no longer. 

“How many of them aren’t here?” Harry asked as they walked, Harry unconsciously keeping Derek close to him, instinctively knowing that Derek needed it. 

“More than half aren’t here, but I already have my assistant working on getting them here as soon as possible,” Donovan explained grimly, as he noticed Harry’s actions. He was getting too attached to this case, if it had only been the one case he would have been concerned. Yet it wasn’t, Argent had killed nearly eighty people, and that was only the known targets that Harry had managed to find. Harry was brilliant at what he did, but there had to be others who had suffered at her hands. Part of him could still scarcely believe that a No-Maj had done this, yet he as well as every wizard and witch in this building knew how the No-Maj’s could get when they were scared. “Take a seat,” he told them, the food, water and coffee already on the table for them. 

Both did, looking quite grateful for the seat, Harry immediately grabbed a bottle of the water and the food and gave it to Derek with a firm look on his face. 

Derek accepted the food, his wolf smug and content that his Alpha was taking care of them. Providing for them, just as he always had been doing since he was introduced to the wizard. He was grateful that Stiles had thought to contact him, despite his initial protests, he didn’t know where he would be without his Alpha. Probably dead, by either Peter’s hand or Kate Argents unless he would have been able to get away, which he seriously doubted. With the electricity coursing through him relentlessly, he was useless, vulnerable. 

Donovan made all of them a cup of coffee knowing very well how Harry took his, leaving Derek’s black should he even drink it. 

“Have you questioned her?” Donovan enquired, grabbing a few folders from his drawer. 

“No, there’s no point when I know the council will have questions for her,” Harry stated, a vindictive look on his face. 

“And how is Peter Hale doing?” Donovan asked, well aware of the damage the fire had caused, he had a copy of the damage for the case files. He wasn’t asking out of politeness or idle curiosity, he was concerned. After what he had been through, without anyone seemingly giving a shit about him, he deserved the care that anyone would show him. 

Derek listened to their conversation as he ate the roast beef sandwiches, which were actually really nice. Feeling the genuine concern from a relative stranger for his uncle caused him to feel so much guilt and distress. The guilt was already eating him up inside, that and he just felt like a coward. Part of him thought he didn’t deserve any family, he abandoned Peter, he unknowingly abandoned Cora, his baby sister. By the Moon, his sister had done it deliberately, she had shed both Peter and Cora’s bonds to the pack and fled with him. If he had just told her maybe she would have stayed for Cora and Peter, abandoned him instead. At least he deserved it while Cora and Peter hadn’t. 

“His recovery is going magnificently,” Harry said honestly, “I think the fact he clung on to some semblance of sanity helped speed up the process. He’s still quite easy to anger, but once he’s had his revenge I think that will calm him down, the sense of normality and pack is also undoubtfully helping Peter too, that and once his mind settles, his anchor will hold more weight,” 

Donovan nodded swallowing his coffee, “That’s good, I’m glad to hear it,” 

“As soon as you’re finished questioning her, I’ll bring Peter here,” Harry stated, his voice booking no argument. ‘To enact pack justice’ went unsaid between them but definitely understood. 

Donovan stared at Harry coolly over the rim of his cup, “I didn’t expect otherwise,” 

Derek stared perplexed between the two wizards, their tones were a touch hostile, yet their emotions didn’t mesh with their tones. Both seemed deeply amused, they were fond of each other, this…seemed to be a game of sorts between them. Leaning back, letting them do whatever they liked, as he drank the bottle of water. The food and drink had already begun to help him, he was feeling better and more like himself. It took a lot of energy out of him while he healed, and the food replenished that energy and it seemed Harry was familiar with that as well. 

“How will the council deal?” Harry then asked idly, finishing off his cup of coffee and putting it back on the desk. 

“Quite honestly? I think they’ll be rather relieved,” Donovan replied thoughtfully, “Especially if the pressure and question of what happens to her is out of their hands.” They genuinely wanted her to pay, to give her the death penalty, but the death penalty hadn’t been used for a long time for a reason. If they make an exception for one person…where does the line get drawn? They were concerned that it would start it all over again. A lot of innocent people had died with the death penalty, and while it wasn’t easy to cheat the system there was ways. They could make someone believe they had done it, it was quite easy, hence they tended to err on the side of caution and stopped using it. “It just depends on what happens when she’s questioned,” they might just end up braying for her blood. 

Harry grimaced, “Be ready for it,” he said, leaning back breathing out, it had been one hell of a case and it wasn’t finished yet. 

“Do you have any questions about what is going to happen, Mr. Hale?” Donovan asked the werewolf, who was watching them silently – and doing so quite contently – he seemed surprised when he was spoken to. 

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. 

“Enter!” Donovan called out, he’d already cancelled his two meetings, so it couldn’t be regarding that. 

“That is the council members informed, they are all en route,” Erin explained as he made her entrance, giving a nod to Harry and Derek. “Shouldn’t be any more than ten minutes at most. Your three meetings are cancelled already, all the evidence has been carried down, along with the woman.” She had seen the evidence and she was disgusted by what she had read. “Everything is all set.” She added firmly, handing him a folder. “Is there anything else I can get you before I leave to set the rest up?” 

“No, thank you, Erin, you’ve done well,” Donavon told her, as always amazed by her efficiency. She was the most competent assistant he’d had. He would be sad to see her go, if and when she wanted to do something else. He would pay as much as it took though, to keep her. 

Erin nodded before quickly making her exit, she had a few last-minute things to deal with, and it was her duty to escort the others to the meeting room. 

“There are sixty members on the council, all from different walks of life, they are representatives from the magical communities all over north America. Their jobs are to both police and protect American Wizardkind. I lead the council as the magical president of MACUSA.” Donovan explained, before going on to explain MACUSA’s original purpose or getting rid of Scourers who hunted down fellow wizards and witches for personal gain and to apprehend criminals who fled from Europe to avoid persecution due to the fact America had no magical law system in place until 1963. Then went on to explain the purpose of Aurors and how they had begun, including the fact one of Harry’s ancestors had been one of the original founding Aurors here at MACUSA. 

“I think that’s enough information for now,” Harry said dryly, able to feel just how overwhelmed Derek was with everything Donovan was telling him. “I have plenty of books on hand if he wants to know more.” He added, purely as an afterthought to prevent any worry that Derek might think he didn’t want the werewolf to know about them. He had self-confidence issues a mile wide. Not that you’d be able to tell that upon meeting him, he just gave off a pissed off ‘don’t mess with me or talk to me’ vibe in order to protect himself from further hurt. Under it all he just longed for family, for a pack of his own, to live his life. 

“Quite right, it’s time to head along to the meeting chambers,” Donovan agreed, glancing at his tablet, which Erin had let him know everyone was there and settled, already reading everything to familiarise themselves – yet again – with the case in question. That the Veritaserum was in place, all that was required was his presence. “Derek,” he added his tone becoming oddly soft, not many saw Donovan that way except family. “We are going to be asking some very invasive questions today, it might seem like we don’t care, if it gets too much, just take a step outside, you cannot attack her, we need to get to the bottom of her crimes and how many people she has let in on the supernatural community in order to deal with that.” Completely forgetting that Derek would be able to smell their true emotions. 

Derek nodded grimly, at least they weren’t asking if he truly wanted to be there that was something. 

“Then let’s go,” Donovan stated, his voice already back to his normal tone of voice. 

“The meeting may take anywhere from one hour up to twelve,” Harry explained to Derek as the three stalked swiftly towards the meeting chambers following Donovan who was slightly ahead of them. “It stops every hour for ten to fifteen minutes, the Veritaserum only lasts one hour before it wears off. Then she will be given more, and so on and so fourth until we get to the bottom of the matter.” 

They stalked through one of the meeting rooms, which had a massive board room to the side, along with podiums without seats. It was where the council had debates when it came to dealing and discussing criminals who haven’t yet been caught. The floors were covered with the MACUSA insignia gilded gold once again spread out. He was beginning to sense a theme since when he walked into the second one, he found the same thing, not that he paid a lot of attention. 

Since the second more important thing he realized was it was full. To the brim. 

He understood what they meant by all walks of life, they were not wearing the same clothes, but all different. That wasn’t the only thing different about them either. They had different ethnics, but the one thing they had in common, they were staring at him with unconcealed inquisitiveness. 

Harry stepped in front of Derek, clearing his throat, giving them all a look from where they sat in a large circle with Kate Argent silenced in the middle of the room alone. There was a time and place for their interest, but this most certainly wasn’t it. “You can take a seat at either side of the room, you can go through either door if it gets too much.” His scent didn’t say that it would, he had full confidence he would be able to endure, he had with Jennifer and he knew it was different with Kate, but Derek was strong. “Just keep in mind that she will get hers,” he added quite vindictively. Smug satisfaction wafted from Harry. “Chin up, don’t let her think she’s won.” He added in a whisper, as he scent marked Derek to give him comfort and familiarity amongst this new world he was being faced with. 

It was the right thing to do, Derek relaxed and came out of his hunched posture, straightening up with renewed confidence. Giving Harry a curt nod, he moved to the side of the room where he would be able to see Kate’s face. He wanted to see the horror as it sank in that she wouldn’t get away with anything she’d done this time. 

Harry meanwhile stalked to the middle of the room as everyone got comfortable, ready for the long haul this would be. Once everyone was seated, Harry nodded to one of the Aurors who was holding a clear vial of what everyone there knew to be Veritaserum. 

Auror Nicola Ewing stalked forward grabbing Kate Argent’s chin harsh enough that a soundless cry – due to the silencing spell surrounding her - left her mouth, uncorking the vial expertly before forcing the three drops into her mouth. Swiftly letting go of the No-Maj as if she was terrified of picking up some of her psychopathic tendencies by touch alone. Once she observed the potion beginning to work and no indication of any negative reactions she nodded wordlessly to Harry before retreating once more. Both she and Auror Letisha Hogg had to remain behind due to Derek Hale being there. He was a victim and a stranger and none of the council knew how he could potentially react. Normally they would be there for the criminal, but she was a No-Maj, she wasn’t getting out of those magical restraints any time soon. 

Auror Letisha Hogg meanwhile set up the Dicti-Quill in the corner on a little table, the quill set posed to move. She cleared her throat “Lord Potter, it’s ready,” using his official title as apposed to his working title ‘Unspeakable Auror Potter’ since he wasn’t technically an unspeakable or an Auror at the moment but questioning Argent. 

Derek’s eyes widened in disbelief, his gaze going to Harry who he could only see from the back. Harry was a Lord? The pang of discomfort at her words registered, he didn’t like being reminded of his title he realized. Relaxing back, his gaze becoming neutral once more. Deciding to treat him as he always did, as his Alpha, the Lord title didn’t mean anything, and he wouldn’t remind Harry of it if he didn’t wish for it. 

“Thank you, Auror Hogg,” Harry said, he was always good with names and faces. “Finite Incantatem!” removing the silencing spell that had been cast on her by Merlin only knows. She must have really pissed someone off since they don’t normally silence them. They were usually left to shout and roar, which usually ended with them incriminating themselves some more. 

Not that it mattered with her. 

“What is your name?” Harry asked her as the room descended into utter silence. You could hear a pin drop it was so quiet.

The blank faced No-Maj had absolutely no chance of fighting the potion, “Kathrine Argent,” 

“What age are you?” standard questions to begin with. 

“Thirty-four years old,” 

Many in the room had to clamp their lips together, clenching their jaws to prevent their anger from being vocally expressed. She had been twenty-eight when she raped Derek Hale. Willing or not, he had been fifteen years old, and in the eyes of them all it was rape. He was just a child, three years from being an adult in the eyes of the law for them. Four in the eyes of the Muggle law which is worse in a way. 

“What are your parents names?” 

“Joan and Gerard Argent,” 

“Who trained you to be a hunter?” 

“My father,” 

“When did you begin your hunter training?” 

“When I was seven,” 

“Note that Joan Argent died when Kate Argent was seven-years-old under suspicious circumstances,” Harry added for the council, who all nodded “So noted,” Auror Hogg stated for the record. 

“When did you see your first kill?” Harry asked, a grimace fleetingly crossing his face, his only show of discomfort. 

“I was nine the first time I saw one of the abominations cut in half,” Kate said, a glint of pride peaking through her glazed features. 

Harry closed his eyes, stomach queasy, shoring himself up, refusing to let her get to him, “When was your first kill?” 

“I was ten, I fired seven wolfsbane arrows into the abomination and killed it,” 

It was becoming obvious to everyone that she didn’t even consider werewolves to be remotely human by referencing them as ‘it’ and it was quite frankly disgusting, and it enraged just as much as it sickened them all. 

“Were any of you kills truly guilty of anything?” Harry asked resignedly. 

“Being born,” Kate said without any infection. 

“How many ignorant humans have you introduced into the supernatural by making them accomplices in your crimes?” 

When Kate didn’t answer it caused others to voice their concern for the first time. 

“The fact she didn’t answer means she cannot calculate the amount even under Veritaserum,” Erin explained to Derek seeing his confusion to everyone’s reactions when no answer had been forthcoming. “Which means he’s going to have to go from case to case, it’s going to be a long day.” She added from where she sat behind him. 

Even President Donovan looked concerned, everyone was, knowing No-Maj’s knew about the supernatural world was alarming. 

“Tell us about your meeting with Aiden Harris, who you met back in Beacon Hills,” Harry started there, grim determination written all over his face. He didn’t need any paperwork to remember everything about the case, it was all memorised, every name, every pack, every death. 

And that was the first question in the extensive line of questions. 

It took seven hours before it was finally over. 

Every single council member was ashen faced and horrified beyond belief. 

It was unanimously agreed that Alpha Peter Hale would be allowed to enact pack law and kill her with retribution, which they couldn’t do anyway due to the laws MACUSA had agreed to with Alpha Dexter Hale all those years ago. 

\-----------0 

Harry apparated both him and Derek back to the house, straight into the kitchen, where Harry promptly sat down exhaustion and tiredness written across his face. Waving his hand at the coffee machine, he closed his eyes and just sighed softly. His stomach was rumbling ravenously, he’d hardly eaten anything today. He never did when he got into something, often forgetting his own wellbeing. 

It didn’t take long for Peter to show up in the doorway, he took one sniff of them and his eyes went red. He could subtly smell the hunter on them, able to differentiate them from all the other scents of wizards and witches adorned to them. 

Harry stood up and approached Peter, scent marking him, his left hand stroking his throat and chin his grip gentle but firm. “She’s been caught, revenge will be yours, just as I promised.” He whispered into the Alpha’s neck. His hearing may not be as good as a werewolf, but he heard a soft low noise emerge from the back of Peter’s throat. A cross between desperation and hurt, of course, after six years he was probably touch starved. The fact Peter canted his head to the side, giving him greater access to one of the most vulnerable areas a werewolf had should have shocked him. 

Derek watched the scene in front of him, once again guilt consuming him, as he watched his Uncle melt into the touch as if he couldn’t bear to part himself with any contact no matter who it was from. His eyes closed, a look contentment on his face, a touch starved werewolf, he was beginning to realize that Peter had been feral in more ways than one before Harry helped. Peter’s arm wrapped possessively around Harry’s waist, drawing him in further, refusing to let go, not that Harry argued. 

For the first time since he woke up, the stress lines on Peter’s face faded away. 

Derek took a deep breath, before he moved forward, with a little bit of hesitance, not sure how his touch would be received, he scent marked his uncle as well. His face burrowing into the other side of Peter’s neck. Peter spasmed as if he was in pain, before he tightly gripped Derek’s neck, a subtle tremble before he relaxed further. 

Harry leaned himself against Peter, enjoying the warmth and comfort derived from the touch. He was exhausted, but he’d done it, he’d kept his word. “How are the boys?” he asked, and yes, he did trust Peter to take care of them. They were in his pack, somehow Jimmy and Teddy were Peter’s Beta’s despite not being his kind of werewolf. Pack meant everything to Peter, that much was evident from the memories and actions he took in order to make those who had a part in his pack’s demise pay. Even feral as he was, he knew he’d probably be killed at one point, he’d just hoped to finish his mission before it occurred. It was just the once, when he remembered what he did to Laura before it was gone in the insanity thrumming through him again. 

Peter felt centred for the first time since he was a young boy, since he started using anger as an anchor. It had worked for him, not so much these days since he had such trouble controlling his shift. For someone like him, who prides himself on his control, it was humiliating. Even if it only happened when he thought of Kate Argent. He and his wolf for the first time, felt whole, at peace, and as he clutched at his nephew and Harry he realized why. 

Mate. 

Peter tightened his hold for a moment while he came to terms with what he’d just realized. It was little wonder he always felt saner whenever Harry had been around to begin with. Why it had felt wrong when he…attack was the wrong word to use, when he had thoughtlessly shoved Harry away from him after he discovered his wound. The fact he hadn’t realized right away gave way to just how far he had been gone. By the moon, he’d found his mate. 

“They’re fine,” Peter eventually said, very reluctantly unwinding himself from his mate, the urge to stay was so strong he wondered how he had the forethought to actually move. “But there is something you should know,” 

“Oh?” Harry queried. “What’s wrong?” he asked waving his hand and three coffees floated over setting itself on the kitchen island. Passing them absently on to both Peter and Derek before claiming his seat. 

Peter was tense, fearing that they would actually believe Scott McCall, and he would be blamed. “That quip I made about McCall killing that girl…it’s not a quip any longer.” He eventually revealed, he was constantly blamed for everything, so why would this time be any different? “He called Stiles while you were out this afternoon. Telling the boy that he thought he had killed someone last night, that I made him.” 

Harry laughed, “Right,” he said derisively, shaking his head, “It’s a good job you’ve got the perfect alibi then isn’t it? To get through to McCall you would have needed to howl, something you didn’t do at all last night. Considering it didn’t work when he was first changed…I doubt it would work now…unless something has changed. Stiles do you want to join us instead of standing in the hallway?” he called to the impulsive little spark he had on his hands. 

Stiles walked in without even pretending to look remotely sorry. He had been avoiding Peter all day, trying to make sure Teddy and Jimmy did as well. Believing Scott, after all his best friend hadn’t lied to him before, he seemed incapable of it. Part of Stiles realized that Peter couldn’t have done it, but he hadn’t been awake all night. Harry had cleared that right up, but Stiles didn’t know if he would ever fully trust Peter, he had bitten Scott without his consent and nearly killed his own nephew after killing his niece. 

“Anything you wish to add?” Harry gave him a stern look, one he had given him at the police station. 

Stiles bit his lip before breathing out in defeat, “Allison is Scott’s anchor, she broke up with him after what happened at the school,” 

“He used a girlfriend as his anchor?” Harry asked aghast. Rubbing his forehead tiredly, dear Merlin, why did he get involved in all this? “Will this day ever end?” his entire body ached from standing and pacing for seven full hours, to use an Argent too, this was…inevitable. 

“Why what’s wrong with using your girlfriend as an anchor?” Stiles protested, “It worked!” trying to stand up for Scott. 

Harry sighed, “Because it’s not a solid anchor, not truly, as you can see at the first sign of trouble…of their impending split, his anchor no longer works. With him being a new werewolf, he lost control on the worst night possible, where his wolf was in the forefront and he killed an innocent girl who got into his path.” He explained patiently, “It’s better off to use an object, a parental influence, a scent or an emotion.” 

Stiles went pale, “What will it mean for Scott?” he hadn’t been in control, it wasn’t fully his fault, he couldn’t go to prison for it surely. 

Harry gritted his teeth, “I am going to have to inform his mother, tell her everything, and make sure he understands he needs to get a stable anchor, and if he kills anyone else…I will have no choice but to have him arrested. That girl lost her life needlessly.” His hands were clenched, he did not like what he was doing at all. “Officially she died at the hands of Kate Argent, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The sick feeling crawled up his throat, causing him to stand up hands on either side of the sink. 

This all felt so wrong. He was fundamentally letting Scott McCall off with murder. 

Raising his hands to his head, scrubbing his hands over his hair trying to get rid of the pent-up frustration. 

“What the fuck am I doing?” Harry whispered to himself, he couldn’t believe he was thinking of doing this. He didn’t even like the bloody brat, so why? Why was he contemplating this? 

Derek and Peter glanced at each other, not sure what to do or say, Peter was actually worse off, he wanted nothing more than to comfort his distressed mate. This was partly his fault, he hadn’t given Scott McCall an Alpha, or any training. The guilt must have been showing on Peters’ features because Derek laid a hand on his uncles, giving him comfort he so clearly needed. 

Stiles felt guilty that he hadn’t been there for Scott last night, if he had maybe it wouldn’t have happened…or maybe his father would be investigating his death he thought of the times where Scott had lost control. He’d been doing so well, he’d managed to get him an anchor, to stop himself from shifting, now it had all gone to hell. He felt even more guilt for Harry, he knew Harry was doing this because of him, Teddy and Jimmy, who were werewolves too and it could have been them in this situation. 

Stiles honestly didn’t think his father would have the courage to do something like this. 

Peter eventually stood up, moving over to the wizard and wrapped his arms around him. Bringing Harry’s back to his chest, and his head slotted into the side of his shoulder blade and his face firmly planted into his neck, inhaling his delicious scent, which was tinged with so sour with negative emotions. He said nothing, just gave Harry comfort, hoping in some way it helped, he’d remain there for as long as Harry would have him. Being touched and touching someone after so long had him and his wolf howling in triumph and happiness. 

\--------0

There we go! Peter is finally sane and centred enough to realise that Harry is his mate! How long will it be before Harry puts the pieces together or will Peter be Peter and take what he wants and initiate contact with his mate? How will Kate be killed? By Peter's claws or fire? There is a sense of poetic justice if she is! Do you want to see Boyd, Erica and Isaac become pack with Derek perhaps becoming Peters second in command suggesting them? Or will the pack always remain small? Do you want to see them discussing everything from Kate's interrogation? I honestly didn't want to have a million questions asked in the story :O it would have taken forever! will the story end just as the 'Alpha's' leave their mark? Or would you prefer it all in one story? Read and Review please 


	19. Chapter 19

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 19 

Derek’s POV 

Hours had passed since he and Harry learned that Scott McCall had been the one responsible for the murder of the child Harry had just begun investigating. Both Harry and he had been mentally and physically exhausted, him more so due to the fact he had been tortured by the woman who killed his family as if he needed the reminder. Jimmy and Teddy had returned to school, Peter had gaped in stunned amazement when he saw them disappear through a fireplace. Stiles had then gone home; his father wasn’t working the night shift that night and asked him to be there – still technically grounded – so he’d left. 

When Peter had found out what happened to him he’d shifted and roared his fury into the house. Causing the house to rattle on its foundations, and windows to crack. Only him paling and smelling of guilt had Peter calming down, then to his surprise, Peter had curled around him protectively on the sofa. Which had led to him silently crying for a long time, finally letting out the heartbreak and fear he’d silently and stoically carried with him for years. 

This had been something Peter used to do all the time when he was a pup, it didn’t matter that he was only a few years older than him. His Alpha, his mom had been too busy with other packs, helping to build truces and guarding the territory. It had always been Peter he went to, Peter always kept him safe, the time with the hunters enforced that idea in his mind. It was Peter who helped him with his anchor, even if he constantly admonished him for taking risks. Then everything happened with Paige, then Peter wasn’t around as often, he lost stability, he’d tried to find it elsewhere. Fallen into the clutches of Kate Argent, then lost his entire pack. 

Laura became his Alpha, to begin with he’d had a clutch, both he and Laura had comforted each other. Then Laura began to work, get her life back in order. Leaving Derek floundering yet again, closing himself off, telling himself he didn’t need a big pack, or want one, that Laura was enough. That he wasn’t a pup anymore and didn’t need constantly coddled and comforted. Not talking about what happened weighed heavily upon Derek’s psyche. Then he’d lost that one last thing, his Alpha, Laura. 

The feeling of being an Omega, being truly alone in every sense of the word terrified him to the core. Yet part of him believed he deserved it. He couldn’t hack it alone, so he’d tried to help Scott adapt, told him they were ‘brothers now’ trying to give both a pack while getting revenge on the Alpha that took his sister. Only for his help to be continuously spat on. Instead of being able to look for his sisters’ killer, he’d been trying to stop Scott from revealing werewolves to the entirety of Beacon Hills or killing someone. 

He’d thought he would die here, in Beacon Hills, presumably at the hands of the Alpha he was chasing or the hunters. All he’d focused on was getting revenge for his sister, his own life hadn’t truly mattered right then. When it came down to the inevitable, with him dying due to the wolfsbane bullet wound…he’d realised he didn’t want to die. Even at that, he knew his life would just continue the downward spiral that it had been on for six years. Having to rely on two teenagers who knew next to nothing about the supernatural…it had been a grim reminder of his prospects of survival. 

Then for the first time in over six years, something had gone right. Thanks to Stiles, who somehow must have had an inkling that Harry wasn’t entirely human, either that or perhaps in the know about the supernatural world. Thank the moon that it was so, he didn’t know where he would be without Harry. Not only had he protected him, kept him safe from both the ‘Alpha’ and the police force, but kept a roof over his head, helped him, got justice for his family like a man on a mission, but gave him his Uncle Peter back, the one from before the fire…and his little sister Cora. He’d gone from being an Omega to having a family again. He’d never be able to repay Harry for that. Repay his Alpha for that. 

Now here he was, the quiet rumbling of Peter’s soothing croon in his ear, feeling safe for the first time in so long. Eventually exhaustion began to pull at him, and Derek, despite everything that happened – Peter killing Laura, the fact Peter attacked him – he didn’t stop the pull of sleep. 

\-----------0 

When Derek came to he found himself still in the same position he’d fallen asleep in last night. Safely ensconced in Peter’s arms, having slept through the night without a single nightmare or jerking awake at the sound of any noise. Derek glanced up at the time eleven o’clock, he’d slept till near enough afternoon, he’d never done that, not even as a teen. Peter was awake, his thumb was absently shifting back and forth against his neck. Throws had been placed over them both, he didn’t need to wonder who. 

“What’s been happening?” Derek asked, reluctantly moving, unable to quite force his face impassive like normal. 

“Harry and I discussed Scott McCall last night,” Peter said solemnly, saying nothing about Derek or his actions last night. Which had surprised Peter as much as it has surprised Derek. Peter had acted on instinct, instincts he hadn’t used since before the damn fire. To protect, to cherish, and Peter wouldn’t admit this, but it had felt so good to have that comfort. Even if it didn’t happen again – which Peter doubted it would – he’d always remember it. He may be a manipulative shit when he wanted to be, but family meant everything to him always had. Yes, he made a few wrong choices, but sue him, who the hell hadn’t in life? He wasn’t omnipotent for Moon’s sake. 

Derek frowned, “What about him?” Peter felt a little too smug and satisfied, he wondered what it meant for Scott. “What did you do, Uncle Peter?” 

“I did what I had to in order to stop the nauseating scent of guilt, dread and self-hatred coming from...Harry,” Peter explained, not quite ready to confide in anyone that Harry was his mate yet. “He wouldn’t have been able to live with the guilt of hiding what McCall did.” Harry wasn’t like him. Although he could speculate that he and Harry were quite alike when it came to their attitude. Harry wasn’t easily fooled or manipulated, if anything such attempts amuse him so. It seemed though when it came to their ethnics they were different. Harry apparently bided by the law, whereas he would rather kill than deal with the law. Admittedly, he wasn’t used to dealing with magical law, something else he was determined to learn all about. Before he went to them in order to kill Kate Argent, and he believed Harry would keep his word. 

 

Derek nodded jerkily, Harry was ruthless, when he needed to be, would bring down a bad guy without blinking. It was obvious though that he had strong morals, an innocent child – the same age as Harry’s own – had died, whether Scott meant it or not wasn’t what was getting to Harry, it was the fact he had been planning on hiding that fact from the world. Concealing Scott’s crimes, it was the same as letting them off with murder. “What is happening instead?” 

“I suggested that he speak to his superiors to see what they would do in that situation. With McCall being underage, and not to fully blame, the chances of him going to prison are very slim. He would more than likely get a suspended sentence.” Peter explained flippantly, the magical people had to have a prison of some sort, capable enough of holding a werewolf. There were spells around this property that had held them all in during the full moon after all. He desired to know everything about this new part of the supernatural world he knew nothing about. It was exciting, alluring and fascinating, he hadn’t felt this way about something new in a long, long time. “Turns out I was correct, they are letting Harry deal with it as he sees fit, he must have a lot of leeway or quite high up in terms of hierarchy.” 

Derek snorted before nodding in agreement having witnessed him talking to the ‘president’ of magic yesterday. 

Peter turned to Derek, arching his eyebrow silently demanding answers to unasked questions. He knew Derek would understand, most of werewolf signals and cues were nonverbal, in both human and Beta form. Hell, he could have a full conversation without actually saying any words. 

This wasn’t one of those times though. 

“He’s…friends with the president of the magical world, of MACUSA,” Derek explained, remembering what he’d heard and seen. He doubted very much that anyone else would be able to talk to him that way, Erin had certainly only treated him with due respect. “The council respect Harry a great deal, some are in awe of him, I’m not sure why.” Just because they could smell things didn’t mean it automatically clarified everything. 

Peter narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, he certainly hoped it was just ‘friends’ that they were. He hadn’t contemplated the idea that his mate was in a relationship. Yet there was no reason why he shouldn’t be, he was stunning. Peter had shamelessly thought about Harry quite often, especially wakening up to him lying in the room that he had been given as his own for now. He couldn’t be the only one who had noticed just how delectable the wizard was. No, he never smelt of anyone else, and there hadn’t been a sign of anyone else in the picture. It calmed his raging nerves as he allowed common sense to win out. He was already ridiculously possessive of his mate. 

Derek glanced at his uncle, sensing the emotions with confusion, he had never sensed those kinds of feelings from his uncle before. “Do not hurt him, Uncle Peter,” Derek cautioned, his eyes pleading with his uncle to just listen for once. By hurt he meant use, not physical force, Peter had slept around, but never settled down, but then again, he hadn’t been given the chance. 

Peter felt like saying something cutting or sarcastic, but one look at how worried his nephew was…he couldn’t bring himself to do so. It was obvious that Derek had grown attached to Harry just as quickly as he had, could it have something to do with Derek instinctively knowing that Harry was his mate? 

The sound of a quiet pop heralded Harry’s return, so Peter stated, “I won’t,” and that was not a lie, his heartbeat didn’t stutter even for a second. 

“Hey, have either of you eaten lunch?” Harry asked without glancing at the time, merely picking up the two throws that had been covering them twenty minutes ago after placing a large folder on the table. Folding them up before they were returned to the cupboard where they obviously went. He had given Peter some breakfast but other than that, Peter refused to move or wake his nephew. He seemed to understand that it had been a long time since Derek slept peacefully. 

“No,” Peter was the one to reply. 

“I’d very much like it if both of you came with me to deal to Melissa,” Harry stated, standing in front of them, grim and determined. “I know three strangers all trying to get her to understand the supernatural is going to be difficult, but I am hoping she’s more level headed than her son. Having two people there who could answer her questions better than me may help too.”

“Is Scott going to be there?” Derek questioned, shifting to get more comfortable. 

“That depends,” Harry sighed, “As far as I am aware, the school was only closed for two days, and well none of us can predict what exactly McCall is thinking or feeling for that matter.” He was glad Teddy and Jimmy had returned to school, he’d just feel awful that he had left them to entertain themselves. Not that the teens probably minded, but Teddy did return here to see him, that was the whole purpose. He’d make up for it, send him a basket of his favourite goodies. 

“I shall accompany you,” Peter replied, finding himself morbidly curious about what was about to go down. 

Derek just grunted in agreement, apparently having used up all his speech allotment for the day. 

“Thank you,” Harry sighed, “Alright, lunch first, we’re all probably going to need it.” He said bemused. 

Harry was soon in the kitchen whipping up a quick meal for the three of them, Derek and Peter soon joined him after the smell wafted through the house. Five minutes later he was putting plates in front of them before taking a seat of his own. 

“What happened last night after you got to…MACUSA?” Peter was slow while saying the word, which was very unfamiliar to him. He knew what happened to his nephew, he’d stopped listening after that due to his fury that once again Argent was trying to destroy his family. What was left of his family at any rate. 

“That isn’t something to talk about while eating,” Harry stated wryly, not pausing in eating the reheated stir-fry he’d made what feels like weeks ago. Still fresh as the day he’d prepared it for eating. In fact, it’s what he’d been preparing when Stiles had called him about Derek and the realisation he was enmeshed in the supernatural world. 

“Not got the stomach for it?” Peter couldn’t help but taunt Harry, purely just to see how he’d react. He was curious about the wizard, wanted to know everything about him. 

“If I didn’t I’d hardly eat,” Harry replied, green eyes glimmering with his own amusement. “Let’s just say she’s enraged the entirety of the council, there were more accomplices than we could have fathomed. She rarely did it alone, put ordinary folk in the line of fire only coming in at the last minute after she was done with her fun,” a shudder wracking his frame, he would need to find a way to let the survivors know that their families had been avenged. Not an easy thing to aspire, since they probably scattered, joined other packs, or went further underground in order to protect their remaining pack members. 

He’d do what he could, when he could. 

“How many?” Peter asked grimly. 

“Supernatural or non-magical folk?” Harry asked seriously, he wasn’t reading Peter’s mind, so he had no idea to which he was referring, but Harry had a good idea. Why would he give a shit about the humans who helped Kate Argent decimate packs. 

Peter just gave him a droll look, not designing to grace him with a reply. 

“There was one pack that I missed,” Harry admitted, “A small one, but one nonetheless. It takes her body count to ninety-four murders. I’d speculate that at least thirty or forty of those people were human pack members.” This didn’t surprise any of them, they all knew very well that there were sometimes as many humans in a pack as there were werewolves. Even the Hale pack had human members, but how many…Harry didn’t know, and he didn’t intend to ask, if they spoke of their family maybe. It was still too raw for Peter and Derek, who both hadn’t healed from the horror of what happened. Last night had been a healing point for them both.

Peter’s eyes flashed red, claw emerging for a brief moment before he regained his usual ironclad composure. He couldn’t wait until he could make Argent pay for what she’d done. 

“Have you taken your potion?” Harry asked as he scooped up the plates and put them in the sink. 

“Yes,” Peter drawled out in annoyance, he wasn’t a child, but the only reason he wasn’t being bitter with his reply is the fact that Harry wasn’t being condescending, all he could smell was a small amount of concern. 

“I’m just saying,” Harry said, raising his hands in defeat, “It’s easy to forget, or declare yourself better, that you don’t need them anymore…but you do need to take them, the entire prescribed course, otherwise you’ll need to start all over again.” The full course requires completion. Potions were more severe than Muggle Medicine if the instructions weren’t heeded. 

Derek cocked his head to the side for a moment, wondering what would happen if Peter didn’t take it all. From Harry’s word, nothing good, perhaps he’d start to decline, not something Derek wanted to see. It was so relieving to feel closer to Peter again. To have that closeness they’d used to share. Though he suspected that Peter needed the contact just like he did. Both of them were touch starved and not in the best of ways mentally. Yet these past few days…they were beginning to heal. 

“Alright, let’s get this over with, she was asleep when I called her earlier, just coming off a nightshift,” Harry explained as he grabbed his Non-magical gear, this woman used to be married to a cop, so she will know all the nuances. Not that it mattered, since she would be told absolutely everything as soon as he got inside her home where he was meeting her. “Let’s just hope that McCall isn’t there,” he added in utter exasperation. He knew he should have more sympathy for the boy, but he had ignored everything everyone said to him and now a young girls life had been snuffed out because of it. 

\------------0

It didn’t take long for the wizard and two werewolves to be standing before the McCall residence. 

“Good afternoon, ma’am, do you prefer Ms. Delgado or Mrs. McCall?” Harry asked her as soon as she answered her door. Showing her his badge, which by the way was as real as any other police badge. She took a good look at it, indicating she’d been taught well. Which meant she was smart, that was good. Changing your name despite being divorced cost a lot of money, so there were many who still went by their married name even after divorce. 

“Mrs. McCall, what is this all about?” Melissa asked suspiciously, not of them per se, but at being faced with an unknown situation. Especially considering there were two others behind him, who were most definitely not police. One did look very familiar, Melissa just couldn’t put a finger on where she knew the man from. 

“It’s about your son, may we come in? It’s a conversation best had inside,” Harry said solemnly, “Nothing has happened,” 

She paled and swayed as if she had jumped to the conclusion her son had died or something much worse. Everyone in Beacon Hills already knew about the death of that girl, the poor little girl, she was the same age as her son. Gripping the door tightly feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and now curiosity, why would the police want with her son? “Is he taking drugs?” 

Harry blinked at her, well he supposed it was a natural thing to suspect. No mother would automatically jump to the conclusion ‘My son turned into a werewolf’ now would they? “No, ma’am,” Harry replied, ignoring the stifled amusement coming from Peter, thankfully Melissa didn’t seem to hear or see his unprofessional attitude. 

“Which branch do you oversee?” Melissa questioned, heart pounding as millions of reasons for this house visit swam in her mind. 

“Homicide,” Harry answered, getting impatient with the questioning. He would answer everything if she would just let them in, he couldn’t have this conversation at the front door. From here he could see that both her neighbours were blatantly watching, windows open, trying to listen in. 

Melissa felt completely nonplussed, but nonetheless opened her door further, allowing the three men entrance into her home. “Would you care for some tea? Coffee?” Melissa asked, her fingers twitching to do something, anything really. She may be a professional nurse, but it didn’t mean she was incapable of getting nervous or worried. 

“Coffee would be wonderful,” Harry said softly and reassuringly, “For all three of us,” he added so she didn’t need to go through the full process more than once. 

Melissa nodded, before she moved passed them and made a beeline for what turned out to be her kitchen. The sound of the kettle being put on and some rustling was heard. 

“Ouch! What the bloody hell was that for?” Peter winced as he rubbed at his backside, glaring at Harry indignantly, just knowing he was to blame. 

“No more amusement, this is serious, we need her on our side,” Harry retorted a finger pointed in his direction, as if scolding him like an impudent pup. 

Derek pursed his lips, finding himself increasingly amused by Harry and the way he could reduce everyone to feeling like a scolded child in front of their mother. He had used his wand this time, Derek realized, he didn’t all the time which made him curious. 

Peter just scowled and muttered darkly under his breath, as he rubbed his painful backside. He would get him back for that, just wait and see, he’d get him. 

Magic evidently didn’t let the pain fade away quickly, since any normal circumstances, anything they were hit with would have faded away due to their healing abilities. That was interesting, and Peter would probably be thinking the same thing after he was done glowering. 

 

\---------------0

Next chapter the conversation with Melissa :) as Derek and Peter slowly rebuild their relationship, will Cora already be on the move? Will Derek manage to get her before the Alpha pack or will the news have reached her sooner that a Hale Alpha was back in Beacon Hills OR will Derek manage to catch her before she leaves looking for him? Will the Alpha pack even come to Beacon Hills with Peter's reputation? He's badass I've decided in this story ;) he knows them personally especially Ennis! Or will they try and get both Peter and Scott (who they will believe to be a true alpha to be) to join them? With Harry around will the Darach manage to ensnare Derek or will she go for Peter and fail spectacularly or have Harry needing to rescue him from her 'spell' Read and Review please!  
I'll be posting the last chapter of Willing next :)


	20. Chapter 20

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 20 

“Thank you,” Harry said kindly, as he accepted the cup of coffee. He had rehearsed everything he wanted to say to her for hours, yet now his mind was coming up with different ways he could deal with this, depending on her reaction. He wanted her introduction into the world of the supernatural to be as gentle as possible. Contrary to whether he liked Scott or not, he didn’t want his mother – Melissa – to be afraid of her son. Even those in the know were at first fearful of their children becoming werewolves, not sure what it meant, Jimmy’s parents were prime examples of that. 

“Why are you interested in my son?” Melissa asked, protectiveness written on every line of her body. 

“I assume you’ve noticed changes in your son these past months,” Harry ventured, feeling nervous, he hadn’t really been forced to introduce someone into the magical world. Not really, Stiles was different, hell even he’d been given only a letter to introduce him to the magical world. 

“Yes,” Melissa admitted warily, her thoughts had been drugs or girls, perhaps both. Her son refused to talk to her, with her work schedule it wasn’t as easy as one would think to have a proper conversation with her wayward son. Shifting slightly from where she stood at the other side of the table, not sure why she felt such unease at the moment. 

“Easier to anger, stronger, eating more, and avoidance,” Harry put forth, and he could see why she’d assume her son was on drugs. 

“You said he wasn’t on drugs,” Melissa pointed out, having to stop herself wringing her hands in anxiety. 

“No, that’s one thing he isn’t,” Harry said, a sympathetic look on his face, “There’s never going to be an easy way to say this, and your automatic response will be to think we are completely crazy which of course, is understandable in your circumstances.” 

A greater unease began to eat Melissa, stiffening, ready to bolt at the words he spoke. 

“The night the body was found in the woods, the boys, in all their wisdom decided to go looking for it,” Harry said, shaking his head in exasperation. “Thinking they’d get in trouble they split up, and Noah found his son, but Stiles refused to give up Scott.” Melissa relaxed hearing this, thinking it was something simple, annoyance and exasperation of her own crossing her tired features. “Scott’s night however, didn’t end there, he was bitten that night, he then went to the Vet’s to it cleaned out and bandaged.” 

Peter rolled his eyes, the urge just to just spit it out was strong, he didn’t have the patience to deal with this pussyfooting around. Then he remembered Harry’s words, diplomacy would be needed as an Alpha. He wasn’t the left hand anymore, he was going to have to do these sorts of things if he wanted to build his pack and alliances when the time came. He wasn’t a blunt instrument, he was instrumental in keeping a pack together. Instead of doing that, Peter relaxed back and watched Harry at work. 

May as well give it a try. He wanted to be a good Alpha, the sibling part of him wanted to be even better than Talia, but that was just competitive talking. He loved his sister despite the fact he thought she had shortcomings, just as she will have thought that of him. 

“Bitten?” Melissa rasped out in sudden shock, why hadn’t her son come to her? Why had he kept the bite hidden? Then another thought hit her, “Why is this important?” 

“The bite itself is what is important,” Harry explained, “It wasn’t an ordinary bite, your son was bitten by a feral werewolf,” 

Melissa burst out laughing, this had all been some sort of joke, when she found out who was behind it she was going to strangle them for putting her through so much mental torment. The problem was, she couldn’t think of a single person who would put her through this, even as a joke. 

“Derek?” Harry said, without even glancing at the young werewolf. 

With a much put-upon sigh, he stood before changing into his Beta shift, causing the woman’s laughter to be suddenly caught in her throat. Melissa staggered back, staring at Derek in horror as his shift faded back to his human appearance. Shaking her head, as if she could dislodge the memory from her mind. 

“Are you ready to hear everything else, now?” Harry said softly, “Yes werewolves are real, and yes your son is one.” 

Melissa just stared unable to think of feel before all of it came crashing into her at once, leaving her feeling shaken to the core. She blindly reached for her seat and sank into it before her legs gave out on her. Her breathing rapid and choppy as she tried to digest what she’d just seen and heard. 

“Being a werewolf is not like those stupid Hollywood movies,” Harry stated, ‘at least not for your son if he gets an anchor’ he thought wryly, his son wasn’t quite as lucky. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that your son no longer needs his inhaler and has a much greater stamina that shouldn’t be possible with someone who has Asthma.” 

Melissa startled at that piece of information, gaping slightly, she hadn’t noticed, she was usually having to constantly replace those inhalers. Her son couldn’t seem to keep them for any length of time, she tried to think of when she’d last seen him using it. How had she not realized he hadn’t asked for any of his medication? She felt like an utter failure at the moment, she hadn’t noticed those changes in her son. 

“Werewolves are a supernatural species of shape-shifter, as you can see they can transform into Beta shift,” Harry began his explanation. “They have many heightened abilities, including sight, smell and hearing, they can see in the dark, not fully, their sense of smell is heightened exponentially, they can track scents for days if they pushed themselves. Their hearing…well simply put they can hear every noise, every conversation for at least two miles.” 

Melissa swallowed thickly, still trying to make sense of everything now that her world view had been shifted so irrevocably. She gave Harry a small nod when he stared at her patiently waiting for some sort of reaction. She wished he wouldn’t be looking at her with such sympathy. As if he knew how hard this was for her. 

“Werewolves also heal very quickly from most wounds, anything that would be fatal to a human is just a minor irritant to them. A normal injury will heal right away, but if it’s an injury from an Alpha werewolf, it takes a while longer. The only weakness when it comes to healing is Aconite, its very dangerous to werewolves. Your son will never have to worry about his Asthma again, he’s cured of it. When bitten, most if not all human illnesses are cured.” Harry continued to explain the upside of being a werewolf to ease Melissa. Not that it would make everything easier in the long run but knowing the good before the bad can only help. 

Melissa nodded dumbly, his sudden ability in Lacrosse made more sense. 

“They also have a heightened sense of agility, they can do things no human can, running, jumping, climbing much faster and a hell of a lot better than humans. Your son could leap of a three-story building and land on his feet without losing his breath.” 

“Werewolves also have the ability to take pain from others, whether they’re human or creatures,” Harry explained, “In some cases they even have the ability to heal them. They also have capabilities of reading someone’s chemosignals giving them the ability to sense emotions from others, their hearing also allows them to find out when they are being lied to. The heart never lies.” 

Peter watched Harry manipulate the woman with all the good things that came with the bite, which he still saw as a gift. Scott McCall was just being an immature idiot. He seemed to know everything there was to know about werewolves, the pain transference wasn’t widely spoken about. He shouldn’t have been surprised but considering how difficult he found it to get books about them, well, forgive him for not realizing how much Harry knew. It was just a question of who gave him the information and why. 

“Like all things…werewolves have…weaknesses, Aconite as I explained before, Mistletoe is another, if you like putting it out at Christmas I’d change that if I were you. If left untreated it can and will kill a werewolf.” Harry explained, “Then there is the most dangerous of all weaknesses, Sorbus Scopulina, a small deciduous tree grown in Northern California, quite commonly referred to as Rowan, it’s actually quite known in folklore in terms of warding off evil, once burnt it’s known as Mountain Ash,”

Melissa saw both men with Harry flinch at the term, just what the hell was this mountain ash? And just who was that man? She knew him from somewhere, she just couldn’t figure out where. Not that it was important in the grand scheme of things right now. 

Peter glanced at Harry, he seemed to have a preference for using their proper terms, he knew Latin very well, it rolled off his tongue like it was nobody’s business. Considering some of the titles he’d seen and read in that book, Latin was probably a second language to Harry. Something else he could slot into place about his mate. Of course, he wouldn’t get an idiot as a mate, he would need someone who could keep up with him intellectually. His wolf preened in satisfaction at that thought. 

“They co-exist quite peacefully with humans, as do all supernatural creatures,” Harry explained, “Unfortunately like some humans they like creating chaos, and there are those who…take the law into their own hands.” His countenance becoming grim. 

“This next part…I will have to take you back over six years ago,” Harry told her, “There was a family of werewolves living here in Beacon Hills actually. They had been living here before this town was built as a matter of fact and helped with the protection and building of Beacon Hills. Keeping you all safe from every manner of supernatural creature that crossed into Beacon Hills.” A deep sense of respect laced Harry’s voice. 

“The Hales,” Melissa said, yes, she knew about them, everyone in the town did. Her eyes glanced from both men, before her eyes widened, her breathing hitched, before blurting out, “You’re Peter Hale, but how…you were in a coma for six years…but you said werewolves heal…” 

“They do,” Harry answered slowly, “Nearly seven years ago their entire pack was targeted by hunters. Hunters are humans who hunt down and kill werewolves or other supernatural creatures. Most of them good people who haven’t hurt a soul, they have become bitter and twisted and believe what they are doing is right, saving people.” A frown of disgust washing over his features, having listened to Kate Argent say that for seven hours. 

Melissa had her hand over her mouth, eyes wide with horror already knowing the outcome of the story. 

“Mountain Ash traps werewolves completely, dulls their senses, its like sedating a human, only ten times more slowly, without the effect of actually sending them unconscious,” Harry explained the effects of that particular danger to werewolves. “Their strength was removed from them, leaving them with only human strength, while wolfsbane smoke clouded their home with fire and ash. They couldn’t fight their way out of their home, they couldn’t get passed the circle, they died in excruciating agony as they burnt and healed only to burn again. Peter managed to get one of his nieces – a ten-year-old - out of the burning building, only she was able to get out of the window with how small the space was between the house and the building. Him breathing in fresh air allowed him to last longer than the rest of his family. He was trying to get to the rest of the children when he was just unable to carry on further.” Harry ignored the tears that were rolling down Melissa’s face in droves, and the anguish he knew would be suffocating behind him from the two male Hales. “The firefighters got there and disturbed the Mountain ash barrier, and they pulled Peter out of the wreckage of his home…he was the only one to make it out alive…alive being a relative term.” 

Peter begged Harry to stop talking, as the fire played out in front of his eyes, making him feel sick to his stomach. 

“Do you know what your son said when he learned that eleven people had been burnt to death in their own home by hunters?” Harry asked, with a blank face. “That they must have done something to deserve it.” 

“No!” Melissa choked out, shaking her head vehemently, her son wasn’t that callous. “He wouldn’t,” 

“He said that to Derek who lost nearly his entire family in the presence of his comatose uncle,” Harry continued on, “I wish I could say that this sort of thing is the first time I’ve heard anything so disgusting…but with my job it was pretty damn mild all things considered.” And that was not a lie. 

Harry breathed out shakily, this next part was going to be difficult for a human to understand. “Pack bonds are very important, they are tangible bonds that packs share with one another. Werewolves like wolves are pack creatures, they need anchors which is usually their pack, their family. A lone wolf or werewolf does not last long, but unlike wolves it’s not just the fear of being eaten by something bigger and badder that werewolves must worry about. A lone wolf, an Omega, is a very dangerous thing to be, werewolves on their own become feral, and I hope you understand that when one is feral, their actions are driven by madness.” 

Melissa still mute after what Harry had listened without truly being able to think much or process it. 

“Peter lost most of his pack, his Alpha, and losing so much so quickly damaged his psyche, losing one pack member is like losing a limb, its physical, this feeling inside you. He lost eleven members of his family, his body was in shock, trying to heal from the damage done to his body and mind. He would have healed quite quickly, I would say three months, conscious within one week if his remaining pack stayed with him and helped him heal.” Harry felt Derek flinch violently beside him. “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, whatever shred of sanity Peter held onto vanished when he felt the remaining pack bonds snap, as Laura and Derek fled Beacon Hills, abandoning Peter as an Omega, leaving him at the mercy of any hunter who would do him harm.” 

Peter swallowed thickly, hands balled into fists, he hadn’t expected anyone to ever take his side. 

“Both Peter and his wolf, when those pack bonds snapped, as he was abandoned, he wasn’t in a coma, but the shock of his pack abandoning him rendered him in a catatonic state.” Harry continued, “He healed cell by cell, in excruciating agony aware but unable to move a muscle. It took six years for him to be able to move, he unfortunately had a nurse who was a hunter…and set in motion the events that occurred a few months ago.” 

Derek hunched down, utterly broken by what he had just heard. How quickly his uncle would have recovered…if they had just stayed. 

“She wasn’t trying to kill him, not outright as she injected liquid wolfsbane into him, giving him a bigger dose on the night of the full moon. In his feral drugged up state, Peter ended up killing his niece, something orchestrated by the hunters, who then cut Laura in half in order to lure Derek back to Beacon Hills. They were determined to end the Hale line, finish what they started six years ago.” Harry sighed, “They didn’t care about any of the humans who could have been caught in the crossfire. It was just more ‘abominations’ to put down.” 

Melissa listened horrified to her core. 

“Scott unfortunately was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Peter still feral, still drugged up on wolfsbane…and had a new Alpha power coursing through him was worse than ever. Thankfully he didn’t rip Scott to shreds but merely bit him…it hasn’t been easy for Scott, I won’t lie and say it has. He’s actually quite determined, he managed to stop himself from responding fully to the Alpha who bit him. Probably due to Peter’s feral state, his wolf was feral, thus he just didn’t have the commanding voice to have anyone fall into line. In fact, in his feral state, Peter’s wolf wanted Scott to himself, as his Beta, but the ties that bind aren’t easily broken, to Peter’s wolf Scott had his own pack…and Peter’s wolf wanted Scott to kill them.” 

Peter refused to look repentant in the face of the angry look the mother gave him.

Unfortunately for him, one look from Harry had him caving. 

“I do not remember much of what happened,” Peter confessed smoothly, “What I do remember…the snippets, it’s like a dream, something I’ve hallucinated about. I very nearly killed Derek as well, he was attacked at the school before Harry figured everything out and ensured I received the suitable help to heal.” He did not wish to use the term rescue. The knowledge what he had done to Laura was difficult enough to live with, never mind he could have done the Hunters jobs for them and killed both Laura and Derek. The he was attacked gave away that Peter didn’t consider himself responsible for his actions…or rather didn’t want to admit responsibility for it. 

“Your son with the help of Stiles managed to get a handle on his new wolf powers, he found an Anchor, which is a must for all werewolves, even those born to it. Then he found himself a girlfriend, Allison Argent,” pausing at the growl of pure unadulterated hatred that came from Peter’s human throat, his red eyes glowing with anger. “Unfortunately for Scott…his new girlfriends family…is a family of hunters. They hunt down and kill werewolves, in fact Christopher Argent has already shot your son, the only reason he got away is due to Derek being there for him. something which your son has never thanked him for and continued to blame him for everything that happened to him. His denial is quite strong, he continues to ripe the benefits of being a wolf yet detests what he’s become due to the fact his girlfriend’s family are hunters. He seems very much in denial about the danger he’s facing by just being in front of the Argents. They insist they care about the code of theirs, which means they don’t hunt down and kill innocent werewolves, yet he shot your son, who had gold eyes at the time, which reveals he’d never taken an innocents life.” 

“At the time?” Melissa narrowed in on Harry’s wording like a shark on blood. 

“I asked Stiles to ensure that Scott came to mine for the full moon, I would have come for him myself if I knew that his anchor was on shaky ground. An anchor ties a wolf to his or her humanity, keeps them from answering the wild call of the moon. Scott’s anchor is his girlfriend, when they split, his anchor could no longer hold him. I was called to a crime scene yesterday; a teenager had been killed by a werewolf. At first, I thought it was just a rouge Omega passing through or the hunters attempts at drawing out Derek again. I was wrong…Scott called Stiles yesterday and confessed to the murder…but he was insistent that Peter was controlling him.” Harry handed over the folder and opened it, letting her see the state the girl had been in. 

Melissa stood up on shaky legs, both arms and legs trembling violently. 

“Let me assure you that Peter did not in any way influence your son, he was with me all night along with four other witnesses including Stiles who you know wouldn’t lie in the face of Scott being in danger.” Harry stated firmly. “What Scott felt was his wolf, he’s obviously not used to its presence yet…he hasn’t accepted his wolf otherwise he would have known what it was and been able to control it.” Irritation coating his voice. 

“What’s going to happen?” Melissa asked, closing the folder violently, unable to look at the pictures. 

“My bosses know what happened, know he wasn’t in his right mind, he is not going to be arrested, at least if he follows the terms I’ve written down for him,” Harry informed her, “He will come to terms with what he’s done and get control over his wolf otherwise he will be sequestered away for his own and others safety. Now I realise that this won’t be possible with Peter as his Alpha until Scott gets over his aversion to his wolf and the fact he was given the bite.” 

Melissa perched on her seat again, her mind blank as she stared at the three of them. She felt like she was in some sort of horrific nightmare she wanted out of immediately. She wanted to shake some sense into her son, at the same time she was absolutely terrified of what he was apparently capable of. 

“Your son has changed, yes, but he still loves you, he’s still your son, I can put you in touch with people who have children who were bitten if you wish? It might give you a sense that you aren’t alone in this.” Harry comforted her. “Do you wish to hear the stipulations for Scott’s…suspended sentence so to speak?” 

Melissa nodded, both at the comfort Harry offered her, realizing that her son was going through something she couldn’t contemplate. She loved her son unconditionally, and she wanted to continue that…but the picture of the girl was burned into her mind terrifying her. 

“Scott will not participate in any school sports, which means he’s off the Lacrosse team. His sudden stamina has bound to have raised a lot of eyebrows. If he transforms in the middle of a game…he will out the entire supernatural world. It’s not something that anyone would allow…you understand that one person isn’t worth the entirety of the supernatural world becoming known?” Harry told her, subtly telling her that her son would be killed before he did any damage. “He will also give up his job at Deaton’s, whatever you do, do not trust that man, he knew what Scott became and said nothing, offered nothing in order to help him.” he warned. 

Melissa grimaced, her son was so headstrong and stubborn, the thought of him doing this seemed unlikely. Yet if he didn’t…she would lose her son. This man was serious, he was an officer of the law, he knew about the supernatural world…this was all absolutely terrifying. The fact he had not so subtly in her book, threatened her son in order to protect the supernatural world didn’t help matters. 

“He will visit an Alpha friend of mine four times a week, she will help him in all things werewolf related, you can go with him and see for yourself that Scott will be safe. Satomi is a wonderful Alpha, she takes in Omega’s and gives them a place to stay, a life, and teaches them all the values a werewolf should have. He will go after school until curfew then head back.” 

Peter twitched at the name, surprised beyond belief that Harry knew Satomi. Derek did not react, which meant that he knew Harry was friends with Satomi. 

“Two days of the week he will be coming with me and…the supernatural police to see the damage feral werewolves have done, what Hunters do…the other day he will be in a dragon reserve shovelling dragons dung,” Harry said it so matter of fact, not seeing the looks of disbelief on any of their faces. 

Derek mouthed the word ‘Dragons’ with a look of astonishment on his face. 

Peter suddenly smirked, he had a feeling he would rather enjoy getting to know the magical world. Dragons of any kind had never been on his radar before. Not dragons or Were-dragons and now Scott McCall was about to find that out, while shovelling shit. What could he say, he was a spiteful sort of person. He doubted very much, he’d ever accept Scott McCall into his pack, not after everything that had been said and done. Picking a hunter over your own kind, well Peter wasn’t stupid enough to let that happen. The boy was led around by his dick, the last thing he ever wanted was someone associated with a hunter near his pack. 

“Satomi has allowed this? She knows that he’s in a relationship with a hunter-to-be? The one-day matriarch of the Argent line?” Peter asked, when it finally dawned on him. 

“He won’t be able to talk about Satomi or where her pack is, I will have taken precautions, plus she will add her own,” Harry explained, “I told Satomi everything, and she wishes to talk to you about reaffirming the alliances between the Hale pack and hers.” 

Harry turned back to Melissa, “Please understand Beacon Hills is Hale territory, and Scott is an Omega, if he goes feral, Peter as an Alpha will have no choice but to protect the town. Regardless of that, as this is Hale territory, if Scott pushes Peter, he can and will demand his removal from Beacon Hills, which will result in him having to move away. There aren’t many places where there isn’t a werewolf territory established not all of them are willing to put up with the risk of an Omega on their territory, due to the fact when anyone goes feral…hunters follow close behind putting entire packs, entire families into danger. New York is the closest place without a territory. He’s a guest on Peter’s territory, and he will have to behave there are councils that would enforce it. Normally as a human it wouldn’t affect you, but your son is a supernatural creature now and he has to follow the laws that govern them.” 

Melissa glanced at Peter, who nodded solemnly, yes, it was all true what Harry had said. 

“Are there any books I can get on the subject?” Melissa asked quietly, “Or someone I can speak to about it in length?” she didn’t want to do anything wrong. 

“Books aren’t freely given out,” Peter told her, “If anyone got their hands on them, we would be more vulnerable, there are enough hunters out there without adding more. My families entire book collection is gone, it would take me a few weeks to find one, I will give you it, on loan.” He would need to get the Hale estate sorted out, during that time he’d just have to use his bearer bonds that were in the vault. Well some of them, even he would have trouble spending it all. 

“I will be by tonight to speak to Scott myself, what time would you say would be best?” Harry asked, making it clear he was finished with the conversation for now. 

“Come by at six, I’ll make sure he’s here,” Melissa said, nostrils flaring. She would call her son right after school got out and make sure he returned home. 

“Very well, this is my number, feel free to call any time,” Harry said sliding a card over with his mobile phone number. “I will bring a few numbers of people who can help you through this with me after I have permission from them,” he wasn’t going to give out the numbers without talking to them first. 

“Thank you,” Melissa said, her tone subdued. 

The three began to leave the kitchen, leaving the overwhelmed woman to her thoughts. 

“I am sorry…for my sons’ words…nobody deserves to hear such a thing,” Melissa said, staring at them with an almost blank look on her face. 

Peter nodded before without a word the three left the McCall house. 

“There’s somewhere I need to be, can you drive back?” Harry asked, offering the keys to the car, throwing them at Derek with a wink before he was off like a shot down the street, leaving too bemused werewolves in his wake. 

Already Harry’s sour and anxious scent was beginning to fade to his normal scent and both felt themselves unconsciously relaxing at that fact. Derek hadn’t noticed just how on edge it had kept him until it was gone. Probably due to his own anxieties and troubles, with Kate and the trial. 

“Come on, tell me everything about the trial, you were gone eight hours,” Peter commented as he got into the passenger side. Too eager for information to really care whether he was driving or not. Plus, the car smelt heavenly of Harry, of his mate. 

Derek exhaled sharply, “We were in there for seven hours…they have some sort of Veritaserum that forces the truth out of the people they interrogate. But it had to be very specific, so Harry had to go from pack to pack, to get every piece of information he needed.” Derek surprisingly continued to talk as he drove, even when they got to Harry’s both stayed in the car with the windows cracked open until Derek’s voice cracked with exhaustion and he had revealed everything about MACUSA and the trial he’d went through yesterday. 

Peter rarely interrupted too fascinated to really formulate a question at the moment. 

\-----------0 

Harry stared at the burnt-out shell of the Hale house, which is what it was referred to. To him, it was a manor, but people didn’t tend to use those words these days. He didn’t think either of the men were ready to come back here, Peter might one day, but for now his grief was still to new. He could feel the echoes of the pain the family had endured, he also knew they knew Kate Argent was finally paying for her crimes. Spirits knew everything, he’d known that since he was fourteen years old. His parents’ ghosts had returned for a brief time, they had known what was happening and coached him on how to get out of there. Then there was Dumbledore…he didn’t want to think on that though. 

Glancing down he plucked the stone out of the ground, before he slowly made his way inside the house. He wasn’t sure if it would work, it had been over six years after all. He’d never tried fixing something so old, but he wanted to do this for them, if he could. It had nothing to do with him getting to see it though, of course, not. 

He didn’t find the library on the ground floor, all that was there was a large sitting room, a massive kitchen, dining room, a reception room, an office as well as a downstairs toilet and shower as well as a bedroom which he didn’t venture into. He felt it would be too disrespectful, he could of course, remove his scent, but he didn’t want to sneak around. If they had a problem with him being there, then they could just tell him, and he wouldn’t enter the building again. Much of the property hadn’t been touched in ways of material items. Everything had just been left to decay, with it being private property, obviously nobody had thought to clear it out. 

On the second floor, he found many bedrooms and what was probably once a spectacular library. The roof was gone, the books – what he could see of them - were not only burnt but waterlogged. Using his wand, he levitated the first book and murmured a quiet Reparo. A genuine smile spilled out onto his face as the book repaired itself right in front of his eyes. It had returned to its original state, it had worked. 

His grip on the stone lessened as he transfigured it into a stone box, another spell would ensure it would hold all the books as he shifted it closer to the bookcases. He levitated the book with a wave of his hand and placed it without pause into the box.

That was what Harry stood there doing for hours, the chore helped him stop overthinking everything. Whether he was doing the right thing by the terms he’d set forth for McCall. Wondering whether he was just making things worse. He didn’t know how it could get worse to be honest, but knowing him, it would be his luck that it did. He had been tempted to add the stipulation that he didn’t see Argent, but he knew fools in love wouldn’t listen. They’d just sneak around, and Harry honestly had enough on his plate as it was dealing with the teen. 

Some of the books were too badly damaged to repair, others were half ash and there was nothing he could do for them. He tried to get the titles and wrote down the ones that were legible. He continued to levitate the books into the box as he finished with them, never once touching them. This was the Hales den, their once safe place, and they must loath the scents of humans that had been in here. So, he wanted to make sure something was returned without any foreign scents on them. Other than smoke and ash, it just depends on how well the spells worked. He had no idea, it wasn’t as if he had a werewolf nose to test it with. 

He continued for the next four hours, just getting the last book finished just before the clock struck five. Which gave him an hour to return home, have a shower put on a change of clothes…then endure the horror that was Scott McCall. He felt smug satisfaction as he looked around, only ten of the books were beyond ruined, and nine of them were intelligible. He only had one that had crumbled into ashes when he levitated it. 

Blinking as he stared at the bookcase, his fingers brushed against the dark spots, his lips twitched. They had the Hale sign crafted into their bookcase. It was special made, he realized, either that or one of the werewolves was good at carving, it was a thing of beauty he must admit. He couldn’t resist restoring it, his breathing hitching at the sight of it, he was right, handmade and beautiful. 

Shrinking it down, he placed it in the stone chest he’d created where it fitted in just fine, like the rest of the books. Merlin, he ached like crazy, standing for hours would do that to anyone. He wasn’t going to shower he decided, a bath was exactly what he needed. Especially if he was going to have to deal with McCall afterwards. 

Levitating the stone chest, he grasped an end of it before Apparating back to the house. Groaning as he stretched out, kicking off his shoes as he lowered the chest down onto the rug. He blinked in astonishment at the sudden sight of Peter and Derek both fully wolfed out tense and alert. 

“Oh boy,” Harry murmured, tense himself now, “I know I probably shouldn’t have gone, but I don’t think either of you were ready…what are you doing?” Harry asked, baffled at their odd behaviour. They weren’t paying any attention to him; their sole attention was focused on the chest. 

“These are the books from the library,” Derek choked out, picking one up carefully with his claws, practically cuddling it while he inhaled the scent coming from it. “It smells like mom,” he hadn’t smelt anything like it in six years. He had forgotten how she smelt until then. 

“Oh,” Harry said wincing slightly, “Sorry, I had no idea the spell would work that way…” this must be the worst torture ever. 

“Don’t be,” Derek retorted vehemently, as he allowed the Beta shift to fade away revealing his human visage. 

“Do you want me to…?” Harry gesticulated towards the book, willing to do what he had done before and make sure the scent never faded. Much like he had done for Laura’s scent. 

Derek’s eyes flashed blue when he realized what Harry meant, with a stiff nod, not moving from where he was crouched over the book. 

Harry breathed shakily, not scared of them, but overwhelmed with the strength of their grief. He could feel it, as if it was physically a part of him. Which shouldn’t be possible, he’d never felt anything like it before, and didn’t think sensing emotions from others was normal. He’d need to investigate this. 

He waved his hand over the book in Derek’s hand before he repeated the spell on the contents of the stone chest. Unable to help himself, he squeezed Peter’s shoulder in comfort, scent marking him. Swallowing thickly, he repeated the process with Derek before leaving both werewolves to grieve. 

No matter how far he ventured away – to the bathroom – he still felt them. 

Why was he suddenly feeling everyone? 

He would meditate while he bathed, perhaps that would lead him to an answer. 

 

\-----------------0

There we go! Sorry if Melissa is out of character I've only seen her in two or three episodes. The one where Stiles breaks in, the one where Peter takes her out on a date...yep just two but I could have sworn there were three but never mind. I didn't see any after that, or how she reacted when she found out...or really much of her character...if you have a minute perhaps you'd give me a run down on her character? Sassy? Sarcastic? always annoyed? Do you want to see the conversation between Harry and Scott? Or will we see the results of an annoyed Harry afterwards? Also last chance on whether you want the KANIMA in this story, I'd need to engineer something...either Peter not being the one to bite him or orchestrate a scene between hunters, werewolves and of course stupid human teenagers who end up clawed! Imagine the surprise after finding out who the Kanima was if he was just scratched :D fun times! He obviously didn't know about the claw thing or he wouldn't have risked killing Kate Argent - in the series- that way now would he? :P Well that's the chapter up! Read and Review please! I do hope you're all enjoying it though!


	21. Chapter 21

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 21 

Laying back against the filled tub, Harry closed his eyes, immersing himself completely in his mind and magic. Slowly following the feelings that were echoing throughout his body. Time became insignificant as he focused solely on what was what. Trying to figure out what his magic was playing at echoing feelings not his own through him. Coming upon the strongest one, it was blue, pulsing with life and vitality and the second Harry's magic touched it, he knew instinctively that it was Derek. He could feel Derek, his emotions, his well-being. Mentally yanking himself back, he found another, golden, tightly interwind with his own magical core, now that, that was his son. He was strong, happy, healthy, albeit Harry got the sense he missed home. 

Merlin's bloody hairy balls, why the hell could he suddenly feel everyone? Had this been there the entire time? Just utterly inaccessible? Had his sudden inclusion in a different part of the supernatural world somehow changed his magical core to fit in with this new life? Unable to help himself, he investigated the other bonds he had. There was a yellow one, a thin strand, this belonged to Jimmy, the young werewolf, he'd only spent a few days with, most of the time he'd been gone. He seemed very settled, happier than he'd been in a long time but very contemplative for whatever the reason. 

Digging in deeper, Harry found a pulsing green one, Harry choked on a sudden inhale. This was Stiles, he was so conflicted, worried, scared and by Merlin, the magic he could feel just from the strand...it was immense. Stiles was going to be so powerful one day, and Harry couldn't wait to see what he became. Stiles was obviously finding it difficult to deal with the supernatural world. He'd need to have a talk with him, to see what he could do for the teen. Unfortunately, tonight was out of the question, he had to deal with Scott McCall, bloody typical. He'd call him tonight, seeing as his father would be working night-shift again. 

The last strand was...incomplete, and blood red, it had a different feel to it when compared to the others. Why? What was different about this particular one? He didn't even need to touch it for it to be confirmed that it was Peter's, perhaps it had something to do with Peter being an alpha so it wasn't as easy to cause this sort of bond? Either that or trust has some part to play in it? 

Noise suddenly startled Harry, bringing him out of his meditative trance – state – he'd been in. jerking in the bathtub, sending the water spilling everywhere, finally the words penetrated his mind. If he wanted to go to McCall's then he best get out now, it was nearing time. 

“Thank you, Peter,” Harry called, hastily grabbing his shampoo bottle and giving his hair a scrub before dunking back under. Once he was sure he had it all out, he stood, grabbing a towel before wrapping it around his waist and walking into his bedroom. Peter was already gone, closing his door he used a spell to try himself off before dressing in more comfortable clothing. He wasn't one for wearing suits a great deal of the time, in fact he hated it. 

He felt more himself in a pair of jeans and a long sleeved top. Sliding his feet into a pair of trainers, he put his wand into his jeans pocket – which was expanded to allow it – he had those sorts of spells imbued into all his clothing for safety. 

He wished he had someone who could give him answers to this mystery. He was feeling pack bonds to everyone, it didn't matter that they were different werewolves apparently. Hell, he was even able to sense Stiles, who was a Spark, Harry's eyes widened, staring unseeingly at the wall in shock. A spark who had the compatibility to become an Emissary, a member of the Hale pack. He was feeling the pack bonds to everyone, this was...strange. Alpha's were the ones with the strongest feelings towards pack bonds, but even Beta's could feel them too. 

Was Stiles actually a member of the Hale pack? Was one full moon able to make the bonds flourish? Or was he able to feel them all because of his magic? Whether or not they were actually a pack or not? Groaning in despair, he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Perhaps Peter would be able to give him some insight to this new mystery. 

“I'll talk to you both later, stay safe,” Harry called out to them knowing both of them would hear him, as he Apparated to the garage, grabbed the closest keys, while opening the garage door before flooring it out there. It was very close to six o'clock, he didn't want to be late. 

Ten minutes later and broken speed limits, Harry stepped out of his car at the McCall residence. What could he say? What would be the point of having magic and being an officer of the law if he couldn't bend the rules a bit and drive over the limit? Which he was entitled to do...just in the events of an emergency, which this wasn't. 

Ensuring his car was locked, he made his way directly up the path, the curtains shuffled, and before he could knock, the door was opened. 

“Hello, Mrs. McCall,” Harry stated, “I take it Scott is in?” she did look slightly overwhelmed and hugely tired. 

“Not yet, I haven't been able to get him on his phone,” Melissa explained, “He must have gone to practice then to the vets afterwards.” her shoulders were hunched, looking incredibly burdened by the news she's heard. 

Harry pursed his lips, “You suspected this would happen,” he deduced. 

“I...yes, getting Scott to do anything these days is impossible. I...he's spending all his time when he's not at work or at school with his girlfriend, or up the stairs in his room talking to her,” Melissa told him resignedly, not to mention she'd suspected drugs too but that was rendered unimportant due to recent revelations. 

“I have a few things for you, that might make this easier,” Harry added, patiently waiting to be let into the house, he couldn't very well converse with Scott in full view of neighbours. Nosy ones at that, judging by the amount of curtain flapping that was going on. 

“Oh!” Melissa shook her head, “Come on it, I'm so sorry, I'm just a little...off-kilter.” 

“As is expected after the afternoon you've had,” Harry said with sympathy as he wandered into the property, which was shining. This woman cleaned when she was upset, he realized, the appliances gleamed for Merlin's sake. 

Melissa grimaced at the reminder of this afternoon, it had been hellish simply put. Not only had she found out what her son was hiding, she'd learned that he was a danger to himself and others. That he had murdered a girl, whether he meant it or not, he had ended her life brutally. The pictures burned into her mind had caused her to be sick earlier after they left, she hadn't eaten since then. Too sickened to even contemplate the idea. 

“I have brought you this,” Harry said, handing over a pendant with a hour-glass vial, filled with a fine powder. “You should keep it with you at all times in case of an emergency. In the face of anything supernatural, you smash the glass and will the contents into a circle either around you or the person you're afraid of. It will keep them contained, it's mountain ash.” there was no point in telling her to believe it would work, since she knew it did, and thus would instinctively believe it did. Harry also didn't tell her he would know when and if she ever broke it, he wasn't going to leave her defenceless. 

Melissa accepted the pendant, unconsciously relaxing knowing she wouldn't be completely vulnerable to the supernatural world. “Thank you,” she said, gratitude and relief showing through her quite tough demeanour.

“You're more than wel--” Harry started to say, but was cut off, by the sound of a panicked Scott shouting through the house. 

“MOM!” terror was evident in his voice. 

Harry shook his head, another sign that he wasn't adjusting to being a werewolf. If he just used his senses, which should be second nature to him by now, he'd know his mother was alive and well. No doubt he was panicking due to the fact he could smell Peter, Derek and himself in his home. He wasn't sure even Satomi could get through to this stubborn boy. Out of them all, she was the one who could have the most success with him though. She had the patience to deal with unruly teens. 

“Mom!” Scott said, relief covering his features before they zoned in on Harry, suspicion and anger mounting. “What did they tell you? You shouldn't listen to them,” 

“Good evening, Scott,” Harry said pleasantly, “I have told your mother everything, she needed to know...especially after you did the other night.” his countenance turning grim at the end of the sentence. 

“You had no right!” Scott roared in anger, his shift coming upon him without conscious thought due to his lose of control. 

Melissa gasped in shock eyes going wide as she stared at her son, her very, very different son. Fear soon slammed into her, she could see something in her sons eyes that had most definitely not been in the eyes of Derek Hale who transformed for her. A feral-ness, an anger. 

“Mom, no,” Scott took a step towards her, his visage returning to normal, a look of contrite and sadness on his face when she stepped away from him pain tore through him. “I wouldn't ever hurt you,” he said quietly, very subdued. 

“You also told Stiles that, and how many times have you lost control and almost killed him?” Harry said his tone suddenly tired. “Kid...you lost control of your anchor and ignored Stiles when he told you to come to me, and the result of that...you killed someone when completely out of control.” 

“What...no! I didn't,” Scott protested in complete denial. “I swear I didn't,” his puppy eyes upon his Mom, trying to get her to listen to him. 

“You killed sixteen-year-old Danielle Lewis from Devenford Prep,” Harry informed him bluntly, “If you don't believe me, check your eyes, I'm sure Stiles has informed you of what they mean.” 

Melissa made a soft noise, just realizing that Derek too had blue eyes. 

“Not everyone who gains blue eyes murdered in cold blood, sometimes a werewolf must kill in self defence, mostly hunters that are trying to kill them. Then there are those who kill out of mercy after the bite doesn't take, and are dying in excruciating agony.” a grimace on his face. 

Scott moved over to the mirror, flashing his eyes he backed away, horror consuming him, “No, no, no, no this isn't happening, it didn't happen.” he muttered to himself. He couldn't have killed someone, he wasn't a bad person, he was good, he'd always been good. “I didn't do it, Peter made me!” in so much denial that he just couldn't swallow the idea he'd hurt – more like murdered – someone. 

“Peter was with us all night,” Harry retorted angrily, “Even Stiles would confirm it. Do not try to pass the blame for your own actions. You've been warned by Derek, Stiles and myself multiple times that this was where it was going to lead to Scott McCall!” smacking his hand on the table, before pointing his hand, “You refused to listen, this is all down to you! Your wolf was in control, not Peter Hale, but you do remember how Peter was? Because you are going the same way! You are an Omega! You need a pack otherwise this decline is going to continue...until you kill someone else. When that happens, there will be nothing I can do for you. You would be arrested and imprisoned, probably for life, however, if you were a threat to human life...you would be killed.” 

Scott just straightened up and shook his head, refusing to listen. 

“The proper authorities already know about the murder, you will be receiving a suspended sentence so to speak. If you fail to follow through on any of the conditions of your continued freedom you will be arrested for that crime.” Harry stated sharply, in professional work mode. 

That made Scott pale, the fear he could feel emanating from his mother was soul crushing too. 

“Believe me I will know the moment you don't adhere to the rules,” Harry informed him seriously, “Are you ready to open your ears and actually listen to what I have to say instead of shaking your head and sticking it in the Nile?” 

“Sit down, Scott,” Melissa added before Scott could argue, “Now.” 

Scott grunted in frustration, eyes flashing blue yet again, before he reluctantly sat down. 

Melissa grasped a hold of her pendant, finding reassurance in it. 

Harry slid the paperwork towards Scott, a list of everything he had to adhere to. 

He refused to even look at it. 

“You will take yourself off the Lacrosse team effective immediately,” Harry stated firmly, unsurprised when Scott stood up abruptly. 

“No! I'm the first line! I can't quit!” Scott argued. 

“You seem to think this is up for debate, Scott, it isn't.” Harry retorted in annoyance. “If you don't you'll be put in prison it's as simple as that. This is no idle threat, and believe me, you won't like the supernatural prison you'd end up in.” dissuading him of the belief he could get away with what he did because he was a werewolf. He seemed to pause hearing the words 'supernatural prison' good, he was listening. “So you can and will quit Lacrosse and any other sport. You will also give up your job at Deaton's, since you won't have the time for it.” 

“I can't! Please, don't make me quit my job!” Scott pleaded with Harry, his puppy like features not moving Harry the slightest. 

“Four days out of the week, you will visit a nearby Alpha, who will teach you in all ways of the wolf, how to control yourself, how to gain a suitable anchor, and how to fight to let some off that pent up aggression off.” Harry continued on, ignoring Scott's pleas. “Two of the days you'll spend with me, learning the consequences of Feral werewolves and the devastation the hunters cause the supernatural community. On the Sunday's you'll be busy doing everything asked of you in a reserve for the day.” 

Scott just stared at Harry with a look of stunned disbelief. This couldn't be happening, he must be dreaming, he must be having a nightmare. That was seven days a week! Glancing down at the paperwork, he noticed how very official it all looked and swallowed thickly. He would never get to see Allison! This wasn't fair. 

It also didn't say how long for. 

“The only reason they're being lenient on this murder...Scott, is because you are new to being a werewolf and underage, I fought for this for you, do not make me regret it.” Harry informed the reeling teenager. “Sign the paperwork, do what must be done, and you might just dig yourself out of this hole you've built up around yourself. You might be underage, but you're nearly an adult, it's time to take responsibility for your own actions.” 

“Sign it, Scott,” Melissa begged her son, she did not want to see him arrested and incarcerated. She still kept her distance from him, wary of all things supernatural. 

Harry removed a pen from his jeans pocket and chucked it over to the teen. 

Scott, sick to his stomach, picked up the pen and scrawled his name on the dotted line. He felt a slight zing like electricity, but Scott ignored it, without realizing what it was. 

Only Harry felt the document become legally binding. 

“You also,” Harry gestured towards Melissa. 

Melissa took the paperwork and actually read it over, once she deemed it what Harry said earlier did she sign it too. 

Harry relaxed once both signed it, neither Melissa or Scott would be able to discuss anything related to the contract. Which meant Scott wouldn't be able to blurt out anything he saw or heard while with Satomi or even on the reserve...which included magic. Everyone was safe from the Argent family, or as safe as could be. He was sure Satomi would 'Alpha voice' Scott into keeping anything he saw or heard with her a secret too. Although, his spells were fool proof, the Alpha voice could be gotten around. Especially if you had the willpower, and surprisingly despite his utter inability to accept his wolf, Scott did show a great deal of willpower. 

“It will begin tomorrow, I shall pick you up and take you to Satomi, the Alpha,” He elaborated, “You may come as well, Melissa, if you wish to see first-hand what your son is going to be learning. Perhaps get some clarity from stable werewolves,” a subtle dig at Scott, “Who can give you information, the knowledge that your son isn't so different after all.” hopefully Scott wouldn't act like he did with Derek. 

“Understand this...a wolf pack see each other as family, brothers and sisters, the pack is everything to them...keep your tongue in check and for the love of all that's holy, don't mention the Argent's, at least two that I know of lost their entire families, their blood families to the Argent's for the simple reason being that they were born werewolves. Don't turn around and tell them that their families deserved it as well. They will not put up with it the way Derek did.” 

Scott flinched and glanced side-ways at his mom, hoping she wouldn't realize what Harry meant. It was apparently too much to ask for, as she was just staring sadly, with shame and disgust clouding her scent. He just wanted to run, run away and never look back. 

“Mom,” Scott whispered, his throat choked up, self-disgust and shame coursing through him. He hated what he was, and his Mom was scared of him so that reinforced the idea that he was something unnatural. 

“You have a phone call to make,” Melissa stated, stepping back away from him, “I'll call you when dinner is ready,” she took the long way around the kitchen to avoid him. Knowing she was hurting her son, but unable to do anything about it. She needed time, she just needed time to adjust that was all. 

Things would one day go back to normal, or as normal as her life would ever get with a teenager Werewolf son on her hands. Desperately trying to remind herself of everything Harry had said, his reassurances that her son was still her son, still loved her, just had a little bit different, temperamental.

Harry drove away from Melissa's house after a few minutes of idling, his phone calling Stiles from the passenger seat. 

“Hey, Harry!” came Stiles voice from the hands free speaker phone enabled call. 

“Why don't you come to mine for a few hours of practice?” Harry offered Stiles, he had promised to teach him and he intended to keep that promise. “I can pick you up, I'm in the area.” 

“I'll be waiting!” Stiles exclaimed before a yelp was heard, Harry rolled his eyes his lips twitching, Stiles in his excitement had probably fallen over. “Bye!” he added before the call ended. 

Harry chuckled in amusement, as he made his way towards Stiles' home. He definitely sounded a lot happier than he had sounded when he answered the call anyway. He'd need to talk about what was bothering him though. 

He'd teach Stiles tonight because tomorrow...tomorrow Kate Argent would be facing retribution and the entire world would be made aware of her actions. 

The hunter community would be brought to his knees, one hunter at a time. 

A new kind would take it's place. A magical kind. His kind. 

The days of old hunters was done. 

\--------------0

There we go, no shouting, but that's how Harry is, Stiles has mentioned it often in the previous 20 chapters...He has to be a hella pissed to shout :D I like making his characters all different to some extent but always bad ass ;) I honestly can't wait to being more werewolves into it :D speed it up a bit give it a touch more drama ;) this whole Argent thing has lasted a hell of a lot longer than I anticipated! 21 chapters in and she's still alive...boy, next chapter we will see a bit of Stiles training, Kate getting her comeuppance and the reactions of the Argents...all of them or just Chris? Keep Gerard out of it for now? :P and yes, finally a mention of someone else from the magical world other than Teddy ;) it's entirely up to you if you want her in it or just mentioned from time to time like Walking Dead Wizard! :D Read and Review please!


	22. Chapter 22

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 22 

“How you feeling, kiddo?” Harry asked, as he pressed down on the accelerator as soon as Stiles closed the car door. He would need to get Stiles back home in a few hours, so that was the allotted time to get some training done. Considering the magic he could feel within Stiles, he was amazed he wasn’t having trouble. He reckoned Sparks required anchors, so Stiles had to be well adjusted at least where it came to an anchor. Perhaps not enough to keep him feeling overwhelmed. The fact he was keeping the supernatural from his father probably wasn’t helping anything either. 

“It could have been me,” Stiles said quietly staring out of the window, anxiety thrumming through him, causing him to tap his feet against the footrest and his fingers to tap against his knees. 

Harry blinked, “What could have?” he asked, his tone low and quiet. 

“If Teddy hadn’t been here…I would have gone to Scott’s,” Stiles stated firmly, there was no doubt he would have gone. He’d planned on it as a matter of fact, but the prospect of actually getting to see Teddy – his other best friend – who wasn’t ignoring him, abandoning him for a girl and genuinely wanted to see and spend time with him had made him agree right away. He hadn’t second guessed himself all night, not until Scott called him with that horrifying news. It didn’t matter that he had been grounded, his dad had been working, so he could have gone without him any the wiser. 

“Ah,” Harry sighed, grimacing, “Look kid, there’s no point to dwelling on something you can’t change. Believe me I know that better than most. It won’t change a single damn thing, what Scott has done…it’s on him not you. Until you learn to harness your spark…well, against a werewolf you won’t come out a victor. You’ve been so lucky so far, but that luck will eventually run out. The same thing happened to me when I was a young boy, eleven years old, I ended up face to face with my parents killer, but I managed to get out there with my life intact, if not for my magic and my mother’s sacrifice I would have died. I didn’t know magic, I was quite useless,” 

“How did you deal with it?” Stiles asked, just talking about it was calming him down, as the relentless tapping ceased. Although his mind had burst with the new information, he knew next to nothing about Harry’s family, he guessed he knew why now. 

“I didn’t,” Harry revealed, slowing down to a stop at the traffic lights. “I didn’t deal with it, Stiles, I didn’t have anyone to talk to, confide in, I was alone and I bottled a lot of shit up. It turns you into someone you don’t want to be, we all have different ways of dealing with things…or not dealing with them.” Stiles own father had lost himself in every bottle of alcohol he could until Harry had put a stop to it. 

“Like Derek,” Stiles said quietly, feeling guilty yet again, he wasn’t blind to the similarities between Derek and Harry. Just small ones, not that he noticed as a kid, Harry had always been strict but fair, always willing to listen and give his opinion. When he was alone though, he got a little broody, just like Derek was all the time. Derek had been alone, just like Harry said he was. it made him feel even more guilty just thinking on it. 

“Derek…wasn’t just hurt, Stiles, he was utterly destroyed by what happened. The belief he was to blame didn’t help his psyche any. For the past six years he closed himself off completely, it was a wonder he wasn’t suicidal.” Harry said grimly, “The pack bonds are physical to an extent, you can feel them, the people on the other end, it’s something you’ll feel yourself if you chose to become part of a pack. Derek desires to feel all that again, to be part of a pack, so much so that he’s willing to help a boy who has been nothing but ungrateful to him in turn. It’s a bit like how Lydia treated you a few years ago.” As if he didn’t exist. 

Stiles flushed bright red, the talk he’d had with Harry had been completely horrifyingly embarrassing. Yet he had come to appreciate that honesty some time later. He still admired her, he just didn’t ogle her, if anything he felt constantly frustrated with her tendency to play dumb given how smart she actually was. The only good thing about having his eyes opened was the fact when he stopped paying attention to Lydia, Jackson didn’t torment him quite so much. That’s not to say the douchebag didn’t drive him mad, he did, he just didn’t do it every day. 

“But I’m human, how will I be able to feel pack bonds?” Stiles asked, as always his rapid-fire mind made him unable to concentrate on any one thing for long. 

“You aren’t human, Stiles, not fully, you are a Spark, you belong in the supernatural world, just like the rest of us,” Harry corrected him, “You will just be a little more vulnerable than the rest of a pack, due to your inability to heal like the werewolves do.” With potions though, Stiles would never remain hurt for long, even a broken bone could be repaired within twenty-four hours. 

“Even if you were only human, it still means you’d be part of a pack, in fact humans are important to werewolf packs, it enables them to be reminded of their humanity. Have you forgotten that some of the people in the Hale pack were humans?” Harry paused in his conversation at the drive thru, as he ordered food for all of them, enough that the wolves won’t end up going hungry. Parking after paying, he waited patiently for the food as he continued his conversation, “Nearly half of the people Kate Argent killed were human, Stiles, in her book…if you ran with wolves you were no better than them and deserve ‘to be put down like the dogs’ as she said,” his tone filled with revulsion as he spoke the words. “They were all a pack, although they were all related, so it might be unusual for a human to be part of a pack without romantic ties or familial ties. It’s something you’d need to ask Peter, no doubt if you both sat down you’d get on like a house on fire. He’d love answering your questions, only if you could put up with his smug attitude,” he added wryly. 

Stiles bit is tongue to stop himself asking Harry if he was attracted to Peter. That was definitely not a question he wanted an answer to. Harry was like a father to him, and that was definitely not a question you asked a parent. He knew Peter liked Harry though, judging by the glances he’d seen the werewolf give him. Shivering a little at the thought, only to have Harry turn the heating on, thinking he was cold. 

“What’s going to happen to Scott?” Stiles asked him, still subdued. He had avoided Scott as much as he was able to at school. Not that it had been difficult, Scott had been trailing after Allison all day, trying to get her attention and affection back after the whole debacle at the school. It was as if the conversation between them hadn’t happened at all. He was so far into denial that Stiles was concerned what would happen next full moon. 

Harry remained silent, as he pressed the button to open his window, “Thanks,” he said as the guy passed through the massive bag of food he’d ordered and tray of drinks. Giving him a nod he pressed the window back up, and opened the bag, withdrawing a bag of curly fries and handed them over with a wry smile. Nothing made Stiles feel better than a big bag of curly fries. He was addicted to them. Starting the car back up, he glanced behind him to ensure it was safe to reverse, it was. 

Before long they were back on the road again. 

“My boss knows about it,” Harry said eventually, “I made sure that they understood it wasn’t completely Scott’s fault, but he has an obligation to get control of himself, he is a werewolf now. Derek, me and you have all continued to tell him the dangers but he refused to listen. Now he will have no choice or he will end up imprisoned.” 

“What will happen during the full moon if he’s put in prison?” Stiles protested, mouth full of curly fries. 

“There are dozens of supernatural prisons all around the world, Stiles, run by wizards and witches,” Harry explained, deciding against trying to explain Azkaban and the dementors. Now that would just horrify the kid, no need to give him nightmares. “They’re specifically built to contain supernatural criminals, and believe you me, Scott wouldn’t do well there.” 

“Oh,” Stiles said, swallowing the fries mouth opening in shock. 

“Yes, Scott’s reaction was similar.” Harry said wryly, as he parked the car now home. “That’s not to say he’s gotten away with it.” He added, undoing his seat belt, and getting out of the car, grabbing the food and drinks then closing the door with his backside. Successfully managing to get the car locked as well, seen that Stiles was out. 

“What do you mean ‘not getting away with it?’ what’s going to happen to him?” Stiles asked taking the drinks tray from Harry as they wandered into the house, but his attention was definitely solely focused on Harry right now – well other than trying not to trip himself up – which was always inevitable. 

Harry nodded in greeting to both werewolves who were sitting in the living room, giving gestures for them to follow and holding up the food in explanation. He didn’t say anything due to the fact that Peter was on the phone, it would be rude to interrupt after all. He hated when people did it to him, Teddy and Stiles being his obvious exception. With his job he had to be extremely accurate and careful, so listening was vital. 

Once they were in the kitchen, Harry put the food down and grabbed plates, musing on the best way to tell Stiles everything and how to begin his training in the arts of magic. “I have given Scott an ultimatum, he does what I’ve stipulated that he do, or he will go to prison and serve time.” 

“What did you say he had to do?” Stiles asked, grabbing glasses and sitting down as the plates and glasses were divvied up. Harry didn’t normally buy takeaway, he preferred cooking on his own, but when he did he only bought from one place. 

Harry gazed straight at Stiles thoughtfully, truthfully he shouldn’t tell Stiles anything. This was officially a case now, this wasn’t him just pretending. Yet he knew once the shock wore off that Scott would whine about everything to Stiles. He couldn’t say anything to his little girlfriend who didn’t know he was a werewolf, yet. He might as well give him a true account of what was going on. 

So Harry explained as he plated the food out for everyone, giving all the details about his punishment and why. 

“Why stop him working at Deaton’s?” Stiles asked perplexed, everything else was self-explanatory. Lacrosse was dangerous if his control was shaky. Following Harry would guarantee that he’d understand why he has to gain control and the Sunday thing, that was probably the only real punishment he was getting. Although an unconscious part of his mind realized Harry hadn’t said exactly what was in the reserve. Going to an Alpha he didn’t know for a fresh start was also good. Scott would just act up if it was either Derek or Peter. Peter for obvious reasons, but Stiles didn’t understand why Scott hated Derek so much after all he had just tried to help him. Maybe it was because of the reminder that he was a werewolf? And he’d never be normal again? Although Stiles reckoned that Scott didn’t want to be normal, not really, he was just a spastic teen, bench warmer with asthma before, now he was a popular jock with a smoking hot girlfriend and was before he spoiled it, on first line and can run more than a few meters before needing an inhaler. 

“Because he won’t have the time to work there, plus I don’t trust Deaton, he knew your friend was a werewolf from the get go and did not say anything. He was an Emissary who failed his pack. The worst sort of coward you can come across.” Harry admitted darkly, the only worse thing is actually betraying your pack, and for all he knew Deaton had done just that. “Never trust that man, Stiles, ever.” 

“What did he do?” Stiles asked inquisitively, nabbing more curly fries and eating them, he was hungry. 

“Deaton isn’t just an Emissary, he’s also a Druid, a ‘magic user’, when one swears to be an Emissary, the pack should come first. Yet Deaton always put his Druidic indoctrination before all else, believing that interfering with anything was wrong, and it went against nature.” Harry explained tersely, why the hell the Hale pack wanted anything to do with him was baffling. “Druid’s aren’t capable of real magic, just rituals, with the right tools and setting they can do some. When Deaton attached himself to the Hale pack, he gained a bit more magic through the pack bonds and his connection to the land than he had before. It seems to me he did enough to avoid suspicion and being kicked out than anything else.” This was only his belief though, he couldn’t say for sure if it was the case. He hadn’t met Deaton yet, but he knew one day he would. He also knew he wouldn’t like the fucker. 

“You gain more magic if you join a pack?” Stiles perked up, looking curious. 

“So to speak,” Harry said grudgingly, wandering through the living room where he could feel the wards being penetrated. Opening the window to allow the owl entrance to his home. “With you, it would be different, you’d bring a lot more to any pack than a mere Druid. You’d make them more powerful just like they would give you more power.” Taking the missive he allowed the owl to do as he pleased. 

Opening the letter, he read through the missive unsurprised by its contents he’d known it was coming. 

“Peter, you’ll be coming to MACUSA tomorrow, it’s time,” Harry said, before the letter was thrown into the fire where it was quickly reduced to ash. He knew better than to leave missives like that lying around, even with magic at the helm. 

“May I borrow your car? The book you wanted has been found, my contact is at the other side of town.” Peter asked, for once giving an explanation as to what he was doing. Derek glanced at him with a cock of his eyebrow knowing how out of character it was for Peter to explain anything and not just mysteriously disappear. 

“How much do they want for it?” Harry asked, peering at Peter with expressive green eyes. 

“Fifteen hundred dollars,” Peter replied dryly, thankfully his contacts knew he was good for it – when he could gain access to his bank accounts and the rest of the Hale fortune – he’d already made moves for such a thing, so with a little luck it wouldn’t take too long. 

“Hold on a minute,” Harry said absently, making his way through to his office and picking up a huge wad of cash that was in his locked drawer. “Here,” he said once he returned, handing over the two bundles, each contained a thousand dollars each. “Dinner’s ready but it will be warm whenever you want it.” Before Peter could get a word in edgewise Harry left the living room, heading for the kitchen. Stiles followed him wanting to continue their conversation. 

“Key’s are in the garage, each are numbered, parking spot to key,” Harry absently called back through. 

“Will I be strong enough to shift into an animal like you if I join a pack?” Stiles asked as he sat down after Harry gesticulated towards him to do so. 

Derek padded into the room looking less awkward than he had in the past, which could only be a good thing. 

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that, but Peter may just have a book that might, or we will investigate together.” Harry promised him, suspecting quite heavily that tentative ties were already growing with the Hale pack. That Stiles was already growing into his place as an Emissary. It had to be something he wanted otherwise it wouldn’t be happening. It wasn’t really surprising, Stiles dearly wished for a big family, for acceptance, for friends, for loyalty, for something much greater, a partner to share it with. 

“I want to come tomorrow,” Derek stated, his tone demanding, just like Stiles was used to when it came from the sourwolf. 

Harry gave Derek a narrowed eyes gaze, silently warning him that he was pushing it. 

“Please,” Derek gritted his teeth as he said the words, he wasn’t used to being censored, it would take a while, plus he was wound up just thinking of Kate Argent and clearly not thinking properly. 

“I would never stop you from getting absolution, Derek,” Harry said, the narrowed eye look disappearing leaving behind tiredness. “You deserve this closure, eat up, tomorrow is going to be very long, and tiresome. You’ll need to make an appearance at both MACUSA and the police station. No arguments, you deserve that apology, and you deserve better than being treated like a suspect in your own damn town!” although his brooding demeanour and leather jacket probably didn’t help much, but welcome to a world that judged you based on appearances. 

Appearances were deceptive, and how anyone could blame Derek for being the way he is was beyond him. He guessed that you truly did have to walk a mile in someone’s shoes to understand. Then again, it wasn’t always the case, Stiles knew about the tragedy, had suffered his own, yet still reacted to the front Derek put on. Then again he was still a teenager, he had a lot of growing up to do still. Not everyone could be like him at sixteen years of age. 

Derek’s shoulders relaxed from their tensed up state and gave a nod, he wasn’t sure why but he’d expected his Alpha to put up a fight about him going. Perhaps it was because Harry always said what he meant, and hadn’t told him specifically that he was going. The fact he was continuing to help him despite his attitude made him feel bad. Yet his thoughts just continued to circle around his family, the fire, Argent. 

“The newspaper will be revealing everything tomorrow,” Harry added once they began to eat. “Every important newspaper and online reading material will have the information, the Argent name is going to be dragged through the mud. It will probably anger the rest of them, I don’t need to tell you to be careful when and if you leave the property do I?” 

“I need to leave to find Cora,” Derek said quietly, his brow furrowed, he’d been meaning to leave for days but had been side-tracked, both by being kidnapped and confronted with Kate then seeing her arrested. The food was actually good for a takeaway, there was no chemical taste like their usually was in food. 

“It’s been too long since I did the runes, I’ll need to do it again to find out where she is exactly, it will be ready for you the day after tomorrow.” Harry said, he understood Derek’s desire to have the rest of his family close by. Especially one he thought he had lost, how he was dealing with that internally with Laura being to blame, Harry didn’t know. “If you want, I can take you there, all you need to do is ask.” Derek would learn to ask for things and not expect to be let down, it would just take time. 

“Once you’re finished come the library,” Harry informed Stiles, banishing his now finished plate to the sink before giving both their shoulders a squeeze before departing. 

\------------0 

Harry gathered everything he thought he might need for this impromptu lesson which wasn’t much. He was no teacher, well, not really, did the D.A actually count? It was more of a after school club borne out of necessity. Yet he’d felt very proud of himself when he learned of the results of each DADA grade – from those he taught – being higher than any other year in over two decades or more. Not that it was something to crow at really, with teachers like Quirrell and Lockhart. 

He grabbed a feather – a quill really – from his office before making his way to the library, not listening in to the conversation Derek and Stiles were having. It sounded like Stiles was apologising actually. Twirling the quill, a sheepish grin adorned his face so vividly reminded of a good time. The first week at Hogwarts, his first Charms class. Chuckling softly, surprising even himself, as he made his way back to the library. 

Perhaps he could do the same for Stiles, have him remember his first proper lesson with happiness. Teaching him how to use Rowan – mountain ash – wasn’t exactly a real lesson. 

Sitting on the table, he closed his eyes as he began to meditate. Checking out the bonds he went straight for the green one, it was still pulsing slightly. That wasn’t what he was aiming for, instead he reached out to it, feeling exactly what Stiles was at the moment. He was excited, happy, relieved, and contemplative. This was good, a huge turn from how he’d been just an hour earlier. He was pleased he was able to help him, and saddened that Stiles didn’t know to come to him if he ever needed it. 

Slowly extracting himself from his meditative trance, he did a doubletake seeing Stiles standing there, whiskey eyes gleaming with concern. “You ready?” he asked the teen. 

“What are we going to do?” Stiles asked, he was excited, but he wasn’t sure what he could do, or if he could do anything. Teddy had told him about his hilarious instances of accidental magic since he could now. Stiles had found the entire thing entertaining to say the least, but he had never done anything like that before. 

“To begin with we start easy, since we don’t know what you’re capable of, but judging by the magic I can sense in you now, you’ll do brilliantly.” Harry said, giving him praise would only help him grow in confidence, and confidence was exactly what Stiles needed with his brand of magic. 

“You can sense the magic in me?” Stiles asked disbelief coating his voice, “Why now?” 

“As I told you before, the longer you’re in the presence of those in the supernatural world, your kind of supernatural world, I don’t think Teddy and I are in that category,” Harry explained, or weren’t until now, since he was pretty sure Jimmy and Teddy were Peter’s betas’. “Meeting Derek and spending time with Scott caused your spark to awaken after laying dormant so to speak. You’ve read what little I could get about those who are magical, Druids harness magic from the land, from nature, or packs, Darachs do the same but with darker intentions while mages are capable of magic it isn’t like yours, you will be able to continue using magic whereas they would exhaust easily once your trained up of course your magic is innate, never ending, you don’t need anything in order to help you cast magic, Stiles.” he knew he wasn’t doing a good job at explaining it. It wasn’t as simple as explaining his own magic, in a way he was explaining a different kind of magic that he just didn’t have any expertise on. 

Stiles nodded, conceding to Harry’s expertise, he rather hoped the book Peter found would explain everything. He had exhausted Google trying to find information, which was just nowhere to be found. All that usually came up was information about spark plugs and where they were sold and places online. He’d tried putting ‘magical sparks’ that just resulted in fireworks or sparklers it was annoying. Even trying to put ‘different kinds of magic users’ in resulted in absolutely nothing. It was nonsense about witches, like the old fashioned ones from the Salem Witch trials, how they were killed and the like. He’d wasted an entire night, taken a dozen Adderall and passed out from sheer exhaustion to only get two hours sleep. 

“Alright, now with your ADHD you might find concentrating a little difficult, but all magic requires concentration.” Harry explained, “A work-out might help, let out some excessive energy, then focus on magic. If we can’t today, then that’s exactly what we will do tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow?” Stiles perked up, two days in a row? That was unexpected, with everything Harry had going on, he wouldn’t have been surprised if he couldn’t do anything for days. Plus, he had his job, and now he was dealing with Scott and well everything else. 

“Yes, it will usually be around this time, for a few hours, I’ll drive you back to home or Apparate you, in time for your curfew, alright?” Harry said, “And yes, as often as you can manage, your magic is important, and we might as well do it now since there are no threats that require dealing with.” 

“Wait, threats? You think we’re going to face threats?” Stiles asked, hopping on his left leg for a few seconds, not sure whether he was horrified or excited…maybe both. 

“Mmm, there will be retaliation from the Argent’s to deal with, Omega’s passing through, which I’m hoping to keep you out of it, but if it comes to it, I want to know you’ll be safe.” The best way he knew how, was to ensure Stiles learned everything he needed to keep himself safe. “It isn’t going to be quick and easy, it took me eight years in total to learn everything I could about magic, and there are still information I don’t know. You’ll end up frustrated, annoyed and close to just giving up, but I won’t let you. I don’t know how to start, I’ve never taught a Spark before…so we’re going to try something today until I get the information we need, alright?” 

Stiles agreed, “Sure,” 

“Good, okay, here, I want you to focus on levitating this,” Harry said picking up the feather, “Will it, don’t ask it, it will conform to your wishes.” He just hoped he didn’t do a Seamus and blow the damn thing up. 

Harry shuffled his backside onto the table, observing Stiles, remaining still, letting him concentrate and focus. Until he figured it out, he believed it would take a while before he did any magic. He had to remind himself that he had a focus his wand, he knew the feel of his own magic now, while Stiles didn’t, he had to find his own focus, own anchor maybe, perhaps a focus stone would help to begin with? Perhaps some meditative exercise, with a calming draught down his neck. Yoga might help as well. 

Twenty minutes later, “Alright I give up!” Stiles flailed about, the damn feather hadn’t moved once, no matter what he did. 

“Hmm, try saying the words ‘Wingardium Leviosa,’ while focused on the feather, point at it,” Harry asked in morbid curiosity. “Wingardium Leviosa,” he said again slower so that Stiles could get his tongue around the word and say it properly. “You can do it, it’s one of the simplest of spells in the magical world.” 

Stiles gave Harry a look that questioned his sanity, with sarcasm he stated “Wingardium Leviosa!” his finger pointed at the feather. 

The feather began to float. 

“STOP!” Harry called out, his hands grasping a hold of the table, as he felt immediately woozy, feeling his magic transferring down the pack bonds and into Stiles before enabling him to levitate the damn feather. Sheer panic and fear coursed through Harry, so much so that Peter and Derek barrelled into the room concerned. 

Harry crashed to the floor, his hands and knees jerking with the pain of keeping himself from planting face first on the ground. 

The feather floated back down while Stiles watched horrified yet elated that he’d actually done it. 

“Fuck!” Harry cursed, his body shaken to the core as Derek eased him into sitting position. 

 

\------------0

There we go! the next chapter for you all to enjoy, so what just happened? and sorry I know I promised Argent getting her comeuppance in this chapter but well blame Stiles and the muse :D it went on a different route :D next chapter will focus on Kate's POV from her cell to her being taken out to be 'executed' I'm going to have fun writing her...but I'm not sure she'd even be scared *pouts* I mean she's one crazy woman...I'd love to write her last moments being utter terrified and in pain haha if you want Peter and Derek's POV as well I can have them thinking of it later...how about it? Read and Review please.


	23. Chapter 23

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 23 

“What the hell was that?” Derek asked, looking between Stiles and Harry, brow furrowed as if he was trying to figure out what the hell happened by scent alone. Unfortunately the only smell he could really get a good whiff off was a layer of ozone and electricity. That was the scent of magic, the subtle scent that surrounded the property at all times, but this was more robust, full-boded scent. “Uncle Peter?” he questioned, seeing that his Uncle was standing there with an odd look on his face. One he wasn’t used to seeing or had seen before in the past, it was like he was unable to comprehend something. He must have some idea what had happened. 

“I felt it, on the drive home, almost crashed the car,” Peter confessed, “That was Stiles somehow syphoning off magic through the pack bonds…pack bonds that somehow…happened naturally.” Peter gazed astutely at the teenager, it shouldn’t be possible. Yet, with a Spark, anything was possible, and the teen had wished so badly to be part of something greater, part of his pack that he’d somehow snuck up on them without trying or perhaps being consciously aware of it. He could feel the pack bond with him now, he hadn’t felt anything before, he even had an awareness that was somewhat dim due to the distance between his two Beta’s, Jimmy and Teddy. 

It wasn’t something he had expected to ever happen, not with how it went down with Scott McCall. He assumed that Stiles would remain loyal to his best friend, stay with him through it all and eventually become his emissary when and if he ever became an Alpha at any point in his life. When he learned that Stiles was a spark he could have seriously cursed up a storm at screwing up such potential for his pack. Not even having the teen staying around for the full moon had given him a glimpse of hope. He’d been there for Teddy and presumably Scott, who hadn’t shown up. 

Stiles chewed nervously on his bottom lip, as he realized this was his fault. 

“Why would he need to syphon off anything?” Derek asked perplexed, Stiles had magic of his own. 

“Because he doesn’t know how to use his own,” Harry said, groaning softly, as his world stopped spinning. “My magic is much easier to use, to harness. He needs to learn to connect to his own, last time I’ll be letting you hear or near any of my spells, this can’t happen again,” he shuddered in revulsion, it was the most disconcerting feeling he’d ever experienced in his life. The question was…why hadn’t Derek felt anything if both he and Peter had? And why had Peter felt anything if the bond wasn’t truly connected? “You have the book?” he asked Peter, he honestly didn’t care about the car, it could easily be replaced. 

With Derek’s grip on his arms giving him purchase, Harry stood up the dizziness already abating. He hadn’t been in any danger, or anything of the sort. It had just been seriously unsettling feeling his magic being tapped into like that. His magical reserves was immense, due to the amount of magic he used on a daily basis, so that also hadn’t been a concern. He ponded on whether Stiles could actually one day absorb the magic from those around him, it may be handy if he was ever in a dire situation with someone magical. 

“It’s in the car, I’ll go and get it,” Peter replied, turning and walking away, the keys were still in the ignition anyway, it need switched off and parked properly. 

“Alright, we need to do this another way,” Harry told Stiles, seeing the look on his face, “Don’t worry about it kiddo, it’s fine, I’m fine. Although this way is going to be more difficult for you…it requires meditation, focus and dedication.” Grinning wryly at the grimace of Stiles face, both of them understanding why, Stiles was by no means capable of much meditation due to his medical condition. “Go into the living room, sit near the fire, I’ll bring you some tea, and we will give it a try.” 

Stiles silently slinked out of the room, still subdued by what had happened and how it felt with such power at his fingertips. It made him more determined to harness his own magic, he wanted that feeling of power back. For too long he’d felt powerless against the supernatural. With both Scott and Peter, although he didn’t blame either, neither of them had been in a good place mentally. Scott still wasn’t as a matter of fact. 

Harry went through to the kitchen, with Derek silently following him, this showed his concern more than any voiced words could. “Do you want anything? Drink? Food?” Harry asked as he made a tea for Stiles, adding a few drops of calming draught into it and stirring it. This would be the only way Stiles could meditate to find his magic. 

Derek shook his head, he was fine, “How long will it take Stiles to learn?” Derek asked pensively. 

“His magic has just woken, it has lay dormant his entire life,” Harry shrugged, “It’s going to take him years – maybe a decade – to learn everything, once he gets the hang of it though…I believe he will surprise me. It took me seven years to graduate from school,” 

“Why don’t you send Stiles there to learn?” Derek asked, grabbing himself a can of juice. 

“As you know, we have different kinds of magic, the school I attended, the school Jimmy and Teddy attend is geared towards our kind of magic. Honestly it would be like sending a Mundane person to the school and expecting them to be able to perform magic.” Harry admitted, “Sparks are rare, and aren’t part of my world, it’s tied to your supernatural world.” It was difficult having to explain, because it was utterly ridiculous really, since the supernatural world was the supernatural world. 

Derek just grunted out his understanding, the only sound in the room was the carbon released from the can he just opened. 

“If you trust me, I could have his magic reacting,” Peter sassily said, claws out with a playful look on his face, that did not bode well with the gleam in his blue eyes, which were flashing a little supernatural red. 

“For someone well read, you don’t know much about magic do you?” Harry said dryly, his lips twitched despite themselves. “That and you have no self-preservation whatsoever.” 

Peter just half-rolled his eyes, a common Hale trait Harry was beginning to realise, but Peter didn’t fully roll his eyes curiously enough perhaps finding himself above outward appearances of exasperation. 

“Nine times out of ten even magic users won’t be able to direct their magic due to their fear. It causes you to tense up, it overwhelms you, stops you from thinking clearly. It takes severe circumstances to bulldoze your way through that fear and react,” Harry confessed, a faraway look on his face, thinking of his fourth year at Hogwarts. “Either that or just not knowing magic hinders you too.” Reminded vividly of his first year, and the sacrificial magic of his own mother had saved his life. 

“Very well,” Peter sighed dramatically, but he was deeply curious as to what happened to Harry, he found himself wanting to know absolutely everything about the wizard. He had something hidden, something traumatic in his past that much was clear from his feelings. Those words weren’t just listed from some book, the emotions belayed a truth and a painful past. 

Harry just grinned wryly at Peter before he left, adding as he was at the door, “Your food is in the oven, still warm,” before he left for the living room, the tea clutched in his hands. 

Stiles only had an hour of meditation before he returned home, he doubted anything would happen in that time. 

He retained hope, Stiles was very stubborn and determined when put to the test. 

\----------0 

MACUSA – Kate Argent 

Kate couldn’t sleep, recalling the words that had been so callously spat at her yesterday evening. ‘Enjoy your last night alive, tomorrow you go for the long sleep’. She was many things, but nobody could call her stupid, although it was entirely debatable. After all if she thought she could do what she did and get away with it forever then that was a whole new breed of stupidity. 

She had no idea where she was, or who they were, they were a supernatural kind she’d never come across before. Which boggled her mind, since the Argent Bestiary had everything within the confines of the book. From werewolves to Kanima’s. She feared them, what they were capable of, the spell she’d been under had been so painful, unbearably so. 

It hadn’t been cast again, but she hadn’t had a chance to fight back, not even once. Beams of red light were the only things she remembered between being consciousness. Why hadn’t her father come for her? Surely her family had realized she was missing? She did not go more than a few days without contacting them, or more accurately her father. Even if it was a text message that nobody outside her or her father would understand. 

She held out hope that he would swoop in and save her, it was her only chance of getting out of here alive. She’d woken up without a single weapon on her. Even her hairpins she stashed in her shoe was gone, primarily used to get her out of any sticky situations like she’d been taught. Her phone…everything was gone, she was in a t-shirt and pair of jeans she’d worn for days. She didn’t know how long she’d been here, they passed food through sporadically at best, some taunted her and made the food evaporate, others spat in the food and sometimes others took pity on her and gave the food over without a word but the disgust was clear in all their eyes. 

She was reviled, she had found no help here, none of her wiles had worked, if anything it repulsed them further. 

She’d learned quickly the retaliation wasn’t worth it. 

These magic users meant business. She hadn’t seen so many together in one area, if she got out of this she was going to take all of them down. She had the means to do it, if she got away with their location, yes, she would do it. Eyes gleaming with determination, never knowing when to back down. 

The insanity gleamed within her dark depths of her depraved soul. 

That was the sight that met the President of MACUSA as he stared into the cell housing the crazy No-Maj. Looking at the small slip of a woman, you wouldn’t think her ledger was so red that it was gushing. People like her caused him fear, for his people, for the magical world on a whole. They’d tried so hard to keep the magical world safe from people like her, the Mundane world. Shaking his head, he was echoing Harry by using the term Mundane. 

The cells were packed to capacity that hadn’t been seen since the times of Grindelwald. MACUSA was always quite swift with their trials, getting them released within forty-eight hours or imprisoned if they were guilty. With delays and the need to interrogate them…it was difficult to know what to do until they got to the bottom of the truth. Then the information had to be read by all of them, then more questions posed if their were, and believe me, there had been many more. This cell of Hunters had truly gotten everyone concerned to the point of hyperawareness. 

It had been a very busy few days, so much so he’d been personally involved in cases instead of running MACUSA itself. It was too much for one person to do, thus Harry hadn’t been involved in this other than to interrogate the ones he’d personally apprehended. 

A decision about the most of them hadn’t been reached yet. 

“In exactly two hours you will be taken to the execution chambers,” President Donovan said, his voice smooth and calm. There was no sign of hatred or fear in his tone, he had worked his way up MACUSA, and not by being emotional. He was in control here, this No-Maj wouldn’t hurt another supernatural creature again. “You are allowed to chose your last meal, should you so desire.” Not reacting to the way the woman shot up from the bed, her face twisted in a hateful snarl. 

“My family will come for me and you’ll all be sorry, you just wait!” Kate hissed, her saliva spitting everywhere as she spoke. 

“In two hours you’ll be dead,” Donovan stated bluntly, and for once there were going to be no fear he was doing the wrong thing. He didn’t tell her just how she would die, she deserved to suffer like she’d made her victims suffer the way they did. He actually found himself curious as to how Peter Hale would go through with it. Werewolves were hands on creatures, both types, so he summarised she’d die bloody and violently. 

“Did you hear me? They’ll come for me!” Kate spat eyes flaring with insanity. 

“Nobody can find you here, Miss. Argent, nobody will mourn you, not once the news hits the world exactly what you’ve done.” Donovan stated calmly, which he noticed was winding the woman up further at his lack of fear. “Shall we order a last meal or will you have what’s offered to you?” 

Kate merely hacked then spat in Donovan’s face, screaming obscenities at him as she tried to grab him through the cell bars. 

“Very well,” Donovan said, wiping the spit away, barely refraining from grimacing in disgust. Turning on his heel he began to leave the lower bowls of the building, her screaming and shouting tapering off once he was out, the silencing spells in full effect. He had an interview with Hermione Granger to attend, there was nobody Harry trusted more to see to this new department. Whether she would accept it or not remained to be seen. 

Kate panted against the cell, coming increasingly desperate as time moved on, not that she could tell it. There was no way for her to know exactly what the time was. If only she had her hair pins, she could have picked the locks and got out of there, killed as many as she could before fleeing to get help then back to kill them all. One would live, just one, so she could torture them and find out everything about them, including their weaknesses. How to kill these creatures. 

Nothing could be heard but her own frantic heartbeat until a clang informed her that someone was coming down. The sliding of trays told her that it was breakfast. They were given plastic cutlery, that was soft and useless against hurting anyone. By soft she really meant soft, it was near impossible to eat with them, she’d never encountered anything like it. 

It was someone different today, she noticed as they slid the tray through her door, someone young, male, possibly new. 

“Hello, precious,” Kate purred, “Aren’t you delicious,” now that would normally have any pubescent male in the vicinity blushing furiously, and stammering. Licking her lips as she eyed him up and down, oh, he was delicious that was no lie. Even with the odd garment he was wearing, that didn’t include the cape of all things. Like the ones the kids use to dress up for Halloween, a witches cape. 

The wizard just stared blankly, before throwing the newspaper at her feet before finishing his rounds. 

Kate growled in annoyance, blaming her unkempt appearance on her inability to seduce him. Damn it, she scowled, huffing out her aggravation. Glancing down at the paper, she noticed that half her face was on it immediately. Picking it up, she spread it out on her bed and sat down eyes widening as she read everything. 

Breathing hitching at the sight of every single hunter family written down for all to see. Swallowing thickly, remembering her inability to stop answering the questions. She liked to think she could keep her own during torture, stop herself from revealing everything. What the hell had she done? What had they given her? Had circled her mind and continued to do so. She’d told them everything, it horrified her just as much as it angered her. If she ever got out of here alive…the hunter community would kill her. There were rules, set rules they had to follow, kill yourself if you turn into the monster you kill, even under torture do not give information away on your own network or other major hunter families. Her own father would kill her himself when they saw this. 

Brought to her knees by the knowledge, breathing heavily, trying to figure something out fast. It wasn’t in her nature to give up, she adapted, made change, refused to see the reality in front of her. Yet this knew realisation had crippled her, if she ever got out of here…she would need to go deep underground for the rest of her life, change her appearance, her name, never contact anyone she knew ever again. Her life as she knew it was over. She had betrayed everyone. 

They would never believe she hadn’t done it willingly. 

\----------0 

Harry was caught between groaning and sighing when he received word that Hermione would be visiting him today. It wasn’t a question it was a demand, but he already had so much to do. Between being at MACUSA, then picking Scott and Melissa up and getting them both to Satomi and returning with them after the Alpha was finished with him. after that he had Stiles to help again, he had made some progress last night. The calming draught had worked wonders for Stiles very active mind. He’d literally just felt the first tendrils of his spark when his phone went off and his dad asked him where he was. 

“Are you coming to meet Satomi this afternoon?” Harry asked, letter from Hermione still in hand. She must have realised he was behind her being called to MACUSA for an interview for a potential job. She’d be heading an entire department not just working under one. It was definitely too much of a good opportunity to pass up, even if it meant she had to move to another country. 

“I don’t see why not,” Peter replied, his claws emerging before being sheathed again, he continued to do this repeatedly. He’d been doing it since he woke up, his mind evidently elsewhere, and Harry knew exactly that was. Peter was also eyeing the owl with fascination, it wasn’t the first time he’d seen one, and doubted it would be the last. Animals tended to avoid them completely, sensing the predator in them. So it was a very refreshing change, they hadn’t actually approached them, but they definitely came closer than any animal had done in the past – willingly – at any rate. 

“Let’s get going before you start clawing at my furniture or you wear out my rug,” Harry said to Peter then Derek, who was pacing restlessly. They both wanted this to be over before they were told she got away, which was standard when it came to Argent’s getting away with their crimes. They both felt that it was too good to be true, that after six years she was finally going to pay for her crimes. Against all pack’s she’s torn apart, more importantly against Peter and Derek’s family. “Come closer, we’re Apparating again,” 

It dawned on Derek for the first time that Harry could get his sister within minutes…that he wouldn’t need to hunt for her alone. Harry had done nothing but help him, had never denied him…he should ask him. It was such a surprising concept to feel confident that he’d be helped if asked. Especially by someone he hadn’t known more than a few months. It would keep them safe, especially when Gerard Argent and his hunters descended upon this small town, and they would, he had no doubt about it. This would ensure his sisters complete safety, he didn’t want to try and bring her home only for something to happen to her on the way back home. 

“Remember, hold your breath, remain relaxed,” Harry added as he grasped their shoulders when they were within touching distance. Wrapping his magic around them, he apparated them all to MACUSA. 

Dropping them off in the same place he had dropped Argent and Derek the last time. The place was practically deserted this time though. With only seven people that Harry could see, busy at their workstations, even the elevators were on standstill. Harry doubted they were all going to see the execution, morbid curiosity would draw them there to see her, but to witness it? Whole other ball game, he didn’t think any of them would have the guts to stand through it. 

It depended on what it was. 

They probably thought it was going to be a killing curse that would end her life. Harry wasn’t under that impression and he doubted those in the council were either. 

“Come on, follow me,” Harry said, “She will probably already be there, by the way, just a heads up,” with that he opened the elevator door, and pressed the button to take him to his desired designated level. Peter and Derek couldn’t help but look around in fascination, Peter’s a little more obvious than Derek, who had already seen MACUSA before. Oh, Peter tried to show nothing but indifference, but he couldn’t quite accomplish it. He was much too curious and awed by the sight. It reminded him of the first time he’d seen Diagon Alley. 

Nearly every single person they did pass all called out hello’s to Harry, waving at him happy to see him. 

Peter was absolutely enthralled by what he was seeing, paper flying through the air, the elevator was extraordinary fast. Wizards using magic on different floors, different lights beaming out of their wands, some sort of mist that turned into animals floating around sometimes and trays of food floating from cubicle to cubicle. The sound wasn’t overwhelming despite the fact it should be. So many people in one building, but it looked as though each level had some sort of muffler on it preventing overwhelming sound. 

“Auror Potter,” 

“Unspeakable Auror Potter!” 

“Hey Harry!” 

“Potter!” 

Harry was apparently very popular, something he didn’t seem to care for, judging by the way he felt. He returned their greetings, smiling at them but his scent revealed his exasperation. They all seemed to revere him, there was some jealousy mingled within it too. 

He perked up and paused when he saw people blasting dummies, causing them to shatter, only for them to reform. 

“They’re training to be Auror’s,” Harry explained, returning to Peter’s side, “It’s difficult because they’re constantly out there on the front lines of protecting their own and the Mundane’s if it comes to it. We can’t accept just anyone, they have to be the best, more people fail to pass the test than succeed. That might just be the Brits though, I’m not too sure about those who go through it here.” 

“Stop!” the instructor called, “Take two! Adamson, come here!” 

Everyone except Adamson immediately went to the other side of the room, wiping themselves down with a towel before drinking from the bottles they’d brought in. While Adamson was instructed on the proper posture and wand movement of their latest spell. 

“Try again!” the instructor stated after he was thoroughly satisfied that the wizard would be able to do it this time. 

The instructors instructions were not wasted, the wizard successfully cast the advanced blasting spell without preamble. The dummy smashed to pieces, only to automatically reform once again. 

“I hit the dummy with that much magic behind that spell it was irreversibly damaged.” Harry said with a grin of amusement. “I was lucky I didn’t need to pay for it, those things are quite expensive,” more pricey than the cars he liked to buy. Not that he’d consider it expensive, but he’d refrained from practising on it again, at least with that particular spell. 

“You did your training here?” Peter queried as always, wanting to know more about his mate. 

“If you can call it training, I passed within six months, it takes years to pass Auror training, but I wasn’t trained to be an Auror, not specifically. I’m an Unspeakable, I suppose you could compare it between being a spy, MI6 and Marine,” Harry explained, “Unspeakables take the biggest risks for the magical community, can’t talk about their job and often sent abroad which I was. With Teddy though, I wasn’t able to take any jobs outside the USA, I do now and again with Teddy at Hogwarts full time.” 

“Ah, there you all are!” Donovan called, from down the hall, moving swiftly towards them, his cloak bellowing out behind him as he made hasty work of the distance between them. “You’re late, and you’re never late,” 

“First time for everything,” Harry said, glancing at the time, two minutes off, minutely shaking his head in amusement. “Does she know what’s happening?” his tone changing drastically when he said the word ‘she’. 

“Only that she’s being…executed, not who her executioner is,” President Donovan informed them, a devious twinkle in his eye. 

“Good,” Harry said seriously. 

Peter for the first time felt as though he could fit in somewhere, these people were finding vindictive amusement in things he would. Their feelings echoed his own, and it made him feel less secluded than he’d ever felt before. Even with his own pack, they hadn’t quite been able to accept his darker nature, which made him the perfect Left Hand of Talia Hale – his alpha and sister – and enabled him to do his job. 

His mate was all he could have asked for and more. 

Derek however, felt extremely subdued. 

It was little wonder, this was the fourth encounter he’d have with Kate. The last two times she’d shot him with a bullet that would have killed him, and the second tortured him, without a real reason other than to show him off to her niece. None of them came close to the heartbreak of losing his entire pack at sixteen after being duped by the hunter. 

“You know you can leave if it gets too much,” Harry said softly, hand raising to squeeze Derek’s shoulder, “You can see the results any time you like,” reminding him of the existence of Pensieve’s. He could watch it whenever he got the courage to do so, if his courage failed him now. Harry ignored the curious look Donovan cast him. 

“Really? Newbies?” Harry asked under his breath throwing an incredulously look at the President of MACUSA. They were exuding anxiety for Merlin’s sake. Flicking out his wand, eyeing Kate who was pressed up against the wall, eyeing everyone looking ready to launch herself at anyone who came close enough. Even the countdown to her own demise, she was still ready to fight. Harry would have admired her tenacity if not for what she had chosen to do with her life. Given her frazzled appearance he would summarise she’d already tried to get the upper hand. “Leave!” Harry commands them. 

Kate’s head jerked around at the sound of that voice, she would always remember it. That was the voice of the one who had tortured her under the Hale house and questioned her. Seeing that bastard made her realize who else was there, and her entire face drained of any remaining colour she had at the sight of Peter. She knew the rumours about Peter, knew of his position in the pack, knew what he was capable of…and frankly put, he struck the fear of god in her especially seeing as she was utterly defenceless. If he had anything to say about her death, she knew it wasn’t going to be painless like a shot to the forehead by the firing squad. 

Both Auror’s glanced between Harry and their boss, the President of MACUSA. He wasn’t pissed, if anything his lips looked like they were twitching as he valiantly fought his amusement. “Go ahead,” he conceded to Harry’s demands for them to leave. 

“The council members that are here are in the other room,” Donovan added, as he gestured to the wall, where there was obviously some sort of two way system allowing them to see in without them being able to see the others. “What exactly is going to occur today?” 

“That is a decision I’m leaving to my nephew,” Peter stated calmly. Derek knew each and every way he desired to end the woman who had stolen their pack from them. How she was ultimately ended though…he left to Derek who had probably suffered more than him. The only thing showing his lack of composure was his supernatural red eyes and his claws. 

Kate began to feel some hope that she wouldn’t be subjected to an extremely violent death, Derek wasn’t the vicious type. 

That was until he proved her wrong. 

All the air left her lungs in shock when she heard his words. 

“I want her to burn,” Derek said, his eyes glowing blue. 

She wasn’t the only one to react that way, the entire council inhaled sharply in shock too. 

No wizard or witch were fans of fires. 

The shadow such thing had left over them all was…horrific. 

‘Way to empty the room’ Harry thought wryly, knowing without a doubt many of the council members had fled as if the hounds of hell were upon them. He’d suspected that this would be one of the few ways Peter would go, but Derek surprised him for a moment, but considering how he was feeling at the moment…perhaps not. 

There was a rage simmering to boiling point under Derek, and honestly, Harry was surprised he hadn’t fully shifted. 

“Very well,” Donovan said, the only sign of unease was the wary look in his eyes before they blanked over once more. 

\--------------------------0

There we go, now next chapter everyone's reactions and perhaps some negotiations between Peter and Satomi! I really need to sit Peter and Harry down to talk :P but there's just so much going on that I've not had a chance to do it! The question is will Derek be there? Will dealing with Kate close wounds he had still gaping open and allow the pack bond to develop making Derek accept Peter as his Alpha? Or will the two pack's combine when Harry accepts his place in the brand new Hale pack? Will Scott find redemption or will he only make matters worse for himself? Read and Review please!


	24. Chapter 24

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 24

Peter watched the proceedings with fascination, the pyre was built with a few flicks of Harry’s wand. Due to his…fascination with reading, he knew it had been created in a way that would prevent the hunter from succumbing to smoke inhalation before the fire could do any damage. He could sense the unease lingering under the skin of many people, the primary source coming from next door. It was actually beginning to make him feel irritated actually. The only thing stopping him from just growling at them – snarling at them into submission give them a reason to be anxious – was the fact there was absolutely no pity for Argent to be had. They knew this was the way to go, they just did not like fire, and truth be told…neither did he or Derek for that matter, him more so. 

“Do you want to set it alight or shall I?” Harry asked, as if he was merely enquiring about buying Peter a coffee, not setting someone alight. As Donovan used his magic to get her into the middle of the pyre, using magic to prevent her from getting free. Kate was still futilely struggling to get out of the magical bindings, her mouth running a mile, not that anyone could hear her, due to the fact she’d been silenced a while ago. 

Peter wanted to open his mouth and state that he had nothing to do it – a light perhaps – with, due to his own reluctance to be so near fire. He didn’t want to be trapped in his own mind, reliving the fire, no he wanted to see her burn. To watch the skin peel off her body and listen to her screams as she felt what his family had all those years ago. What all those people had felt. He just knew such a statement would bite him in the ass, and he did not want to come across as weak, especially not in front of his mate who had done all this for him, for Derek. 

Unfortunately, or fortunately Harry was able to sense Peter’s reluctance and Derek’s downright drop into denial at the prospect of being offered up to do it. 

“Never mind, take a step back,” Harry stated sternly, deciding for them. 

Peter, of course, refused, staring at Harry slightly indignantly at being spoken to thusly when he was the Alpha. 

Harry just arched an eyebrow impatiently, they stared at each other before Peter sighed and reluctantly conceded that this was Harry’s world. He may well be the Alpha here, so it was only right that he give in control. Just like he would have done upon visiting another Alpha’s territory, which he would be doing this afternoon. Satomi was a good place to begin though, he knew her well, and could trust her. Even if, in his opinion she was a bit too much like Talia, but less naive, but who can be surprised, Satomi was decades older than Talia had been…how many though was the question. It wasn’t something easily ascertained by werewolves, turned or born, they have an elongated lifespan. Lived twice the normal lifespan of a human, perhaps three. 

As he stepped back, Peter gauged a sense of confirmation and contentment from the only wizard – besides Harry – that was still in the room. Judging by the incident earlier… he would say that the wizard was the boss, since the younger wizards had glanced at him for confirmation before leaving. Yet he didn’t deny Harry, this could be the wizard Derek was talking about, but he couldn’t remember if a name was ever mentioned. He couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to, a decision had been cemented by his actions just now. 

He was however, thoroughly distracted when he realized, for the first time in fact, that Argent was much too silent for a woman about to be executed. “I want to hear every struggle she makes for breath, every scream, every rasp,” Peter said darkly, red eyes still out and gleaming victoriously. 

Nothing she could say would bring him down from this high at finally observing the one who killed his family finally suffering. 

Even he couldn’t have foreseen this happening in his wildest dreams of vengeance being his own. 

Derek watched Peter approach Kate, getting close to her, he stiffened, thinking that Peter would just end her. Yet he didn’t, instead he whispered that he was going to enjoy watching her scream, for everyone she hurt. Naming his sisters, mom, cousins, aunts and uncles who had all perished in the fire that made Derek blink away tears. He missed them all so much, and he wasn’t quite able to hide that pain anymore. For years he’d closed himself off, stopped himself feeling anything, losing Laura had forced him to feel everything all over again. 

Once Peter was far enough away, Harry cast the charm, and the fire began to spread in a circle around the wood. Then he undid the silencing charm upon her person. Both Harry and Donovan stepped back, watching Kate panic blindly, too terrified to shout out profanities and threats as she focused fully on trying to get out of the way of the flames licking their way towards her, even now the heat had to be intolerable. It danced around her, not acting like a fire would. 

Donovan glanced at Harry, knowing that he was responsible for the fact the fire was taking it’s sweet time. If anyone had been personally invested in the outcome of this it was definitely him. Part of him felt as though he’d need to keep an eye on Harry in future, for if this continued it wouldn’t be good for him. Never get personally involved in a case, was one of his mottos in life. He demanded that from all his subordinates. All the Auror’s and Unspeakables had to ingrain that in their heads, if they thought they were, they had to remove themselves from the situation. No exceptions. 

Apparently Harry was that exception, he’d never let it happen in the past, so why them? Or perhaps it was Peter? Maybe he felt a kinship with him due to the fact he was abandoned. Harry knew abandonment, pretty much more than even greater than the battle hardened wizards who had given up everything for their country. He had a feeling it ran deeper though, much greater than he was contemplating. Stepping back until he hit the wall, grimacing in distaste at the smell of burnt flesh. 

Nobody moved a muscle after that, just watched the flames consume the burning human. The smell of flesh, hair and smoke filling the room, but not all consuming. 

The wailing was like music to Peter’s ears, despite the fact they were ringing from the loudness of it. Peter sensed Derek’s need for closeness, and clasped his hand around his vulnerable neck, giving it a squeeze and left his hand there. Anchoring both of them, despite how they wanted her to suffer, this sort of punishment had backfired a little on both of them. They would never be able to associate with fire with anything other than death and hurt. 

Then to Peter’s immense surprise, a true pack bond between himself and his nephew opened up. He could feel his nephews emotions for the first time since he’d been cut off six years ago. Even with the potions he’d been drinking, he didn’t remember everything with one hundred percent accuracy. He suspected he never would, the amount of pain he’d been in…how on earth could someone remain cognizant through that? There was only so much that the human body could take, even a werewolf one at that. 

Soon they couldn’t make hide nor hair of Kate amongst the flames, but at that point, the mass of burnt flesh had stopped struggling, and her heartbeat had ceased entirely. Then suddenly causing all of them – except Harry – to jump, the flames became fiercer, so quickly that within moments it had burnt out leaving nothing but ashes of wood and cremated remains behind. 

Donovan flicked his wand, and the smell lingering in the air disappeared entirely, leaving a lemon-y scent behind. “Alpha Hale, are you in agreement judgement has been passed successfully?” he questioned Peter, respectfully. 

Something flickered through Peter’s eyes, “Indeed,” Peter replied, truth was it wasn’t enough, it never would. He’d rather have his family back, even if it meant giving over the Alpha powers, and didn’t that say a lot considering he’d always greatly desired Alpha powers. He’d never truly thought about what it would imply, or how it would change things. He would do his best, but at the end of the day he’d always been a blunt instrument. 

Harry’s mind flashed back to the little girl who had been with Kate that day, and wondered if the ashes should be returned to the family. Not for her benefit, but rather the girls, would be hunter or not…family meant something to most people. This was a hunter family though, they’d rather their family die than be a werewolf, how much could they truly care about one another if they let that happen? Would the ashes just be discarded anyway? “What about the ashes?” 

“They need to go back to the family, they need to believe she died after an escape attempt,” Donovan stated, “There will be DNA remains inside the jar that will indeed confirm that they are Kate Argent’s cremains.” 

“Why bother?” Peter asked coldly. Hunters didn’t care about anything, they weren’t capable of feeling anything. His mind was reeling, he’d thought he’d feel something…but right now he just felt subdued, tired, numb. 

“Because like it or not, we cannot expose the magical world…not even to those that call themselves hunters.” Harry sneered the word out as if it left him with a bad taste in his mouth. “Especially not hunters. If for a moment they realize the true extent of the supernatural world on a whole…there would be an all our war…and it would be children and innocents who pay the price!”

Peter sobered immediately, gritting out through clenched teeth, “I simply meant, they care for nothing other than the kill, not even each other.” Anger was better than numb, he’d take anything other than that feeling of cold detachment. 

Harry breathed out, “I know, Peter, the mere mention of hunters terrifies us all, we’re doing all we can to eradicate them, with due cause, it’s going to take years, maybe decades before we can safely say that hunters are a thing of the past. Helping you, helps us, prevents total exposure.” 

“Do you think such a thing is possible?” Derek asked, breathing hitching at the prospect of a future without hunters. Without having to constantly run for his life, or keep an eye out for anyone attempting to hurt or kill anyone he had the good fortune to call pack. His mind continued to reel over what had just happened and everything he was hearing afterwards. 

Harry grimaced out a little, “It’s what we’re attempting,” he revealed truthfully, and it was the department Hermione may become the boss of it she agrees. “It’s just the degree of success that is called into question.” 

“They will most likely be imprisoned for life,” Donovan revealed, “In a supernatural wing of magical prison, but for hunters,” and only if they are guilty, and only if it’s impossible to obliviate them. If they did things the right way, then they would be closely monitored for the rest of their lives and forced to relinquish their…habits. Everything remotely magical would be removed from them. Forced to remain silent, so that they didn’t tarnish the next generation. 

They had been busy ever since this case had come across his desk. The entire council had been up in arms, knowing something had to be done. The lack of action could quite quickly come back to bite them in the ass. No they had to make sure the magical world was safe. Otherwise everything they did was for nothing. The thought of what happened with Grindelwald happening again did terrify them so. 

“We want to make sure that what happened to your family…doesn’t happen to anyone else…it’s not much of a consolation prize, I know, but it’s something.” Harry said sincerely. 

“Indeed,” Donavon agreed with the sentiment. Transfiguring a wooden box and levitating all the ashes into it. It closed with a final click, and the room was well and truly back to normal again. 

“Speaking of which, did Hermione agree?” Harry asked curiously, already knowing the answer. 

“I haven’t received it yet,” Donovan answered evenly. 

Harry choked in shock, “What? She didn’t agree right away?” that was unprecedented. Hermione had lost her unborn child after she heard the news that Ron had died on his way to St. Mungo’s after an attempt at apprehending the remaining Death Eaters still in the UK. The only consolation Hermione had was the fact the bastard who had killed Ron and caused her to go into premature labour was dead too. It had been too difficult for Hermione to be near Teddy for a while, but she had slowly recovered, he’d made sure she hadn’t delved into her work. She’d came to stay with him for a short while before returning home. To stay with her parents at first before she got back into the swing of things. She’d never truly recovered completely, how could she? 

“I believe she wishes to speak to you before she gives her answer,” Donovan said wryly, “Not that she said it outright, but she has a bad habit of talking under her breath.” 

Harry laughed, “Yeah, she hasn’t outgrown that, I don’t think anyone’s actually told her she does it,” a wide grin of amusement on his face. 

The tips of Peter’s claws emerged just so at the way Harry lit up talking about someone. It wasn’t just that there were many feelings attached to her evidently. He didn’t like the thought of his mate with another…it filled him with anger and fury. 

Derek frowned at Peter’s odd actions and the feelings before his eyes widened, of course, why hadn’t he realized? Harry was Peter’s mate, no wonder he had deferred to him a few times, even if Peter would never admit to it as deferring. As if he wasn’t dealing with enough he had to figure out why Harry felt like an Alpha to him? That he was Peter’s only significant other. He was drowning in feelings that needed time, just time to sort out. “Who’s Hermione?” Derek asked, trying to distract himself. It predictably didn’t work at all. 

“She’s my best friend, she’s been with me through thick and thin, you’ll be meeting her in a few minutes actually…if you’re up for meeting anyone,” Harry said, eyeing Derek sympathetically, he wouldn’t be surprised if Derek didn’t go out and blow off some steam.

Peter relaxed at that pronouncement, he was telling the truth, they were only friends. He knew he would have to explain and perhaps woo his mate…but until he was one hundred percent better…and had processed what happened he couldn’t get involved with anyone, not even his mate. it would do neither of them any good if he didn’t get himself better first. Even though part of him just wanted to take him, mark him as his. If Harry had been another werewolf, they would probably already be mated to each other. 

“How long are you leaving it before informing them?” Harry asked shrewdly, his mind ticking away as he thought of all the best ways to see this through. He had a very sharp mind, and it came in handy, even if he hadn’t used it while at Hogwarts. 

“I was thinking two weeks?” Donovan said slowly, his own mind ticking over as he mulled the facts. 

“A trial usually takes longer than that, I would suggest a month at the most,” Harry said quietly, “Then the actual ‘trial’ could take up to eleven weeks itself.” 

“It’s best not to wait so long, especially as you say, them being hunters, perhaps her escape attempt could be done before her trial?” Donovan suggested, months is much too long to wait, they had to get a handle on those hunters, lest they come in droves around Beacon Hills, and truthfully it was the last thing they needed. Even if it would have made their jobs easier to apprehend all the hunters at the end of the day. 

“Then perhaps wait only a week, make it seem as though it happened during her ‘arraignment’ I’ll have the documents drawn up so that if they do any digging everything is there.” Harry said, nodding to himself firmly. He had reached a decision he would stick with it. “With their constant moving…it’s impossible to find her ‘next of kin’ which would be the father, then get her brother with no family found she was cremated a bit too soon,” he would be focusing on Gerard Argent next, he was going to follow the money trail and see where it led him. 

“Done,” Donovan agreed, handing over the box of ashes. “Remember to do the paperwork.” He added, his tone wry, indicating that Harry had a habit of ‘forgetting to do his paperwork’ whether it was wilful or not…nobody knew. 

“I forgot one time,” Harry said exasperated, but the playful tone indicated it was a joke between them. He shrunk down the wooden cremains box and slid it into his pocket with a general air of distaste. “Come on, lets get out of here,” he told the Hales, his face becoming solemn again, the last thing they probably needed was others tossing jokes around when they were going through a myriad of emotions. He didn’t need to feel them to know what they were going through. 

He had gone through something similar himself. 

“I’ll be in touch,” Donovan said, as Harry reached out to touch both Peter and Derek. He received a nod before he was suddenly alone in the room. Without more ado he left the room and went to see how the council were dealing with everything. He was surprised by the amount of council members who had remained after the news of how Kate would be dispatched. 

They were pale, shaken but standing at attention with grim determination. 

“I think it’s time we discussed how we are dealing with the rest of these hunters, wouldn’t you say?” one member of the council suggested. They knew a branch would be opened, that they would be working all over the states, primarily where each of them worked to ensure everything begun running smoothly. Until such a thing could happen, the main department would be run here, it had been decided. 

“I don’t have an appointment for two hours,” Donovan stated, and it was too important to cancel it again. “So why don’t we go somewhere…more fitting while we discuss everything?” which mean the council chambers, where those who had left were no doubt sitting already. 

With that the council members vacated the side room of the execution chambers, many still remembering what it looked like in the past. The truth was, the liquid had been dispersed and the hole had been filled, leaving behind a dank, dark, grey room that was very rarely used but part of their history. 

It was the first time it had been used in decades. 

\-----------0 

Barely twenty minutes away, the small Argent family sat in stoic silence as they looked at the newspaper. Detailing the list of Kate Argent’s crimes against humanity, all the families were listed but the survivors were unlisted to protect them. The newspaper made Kate sound like a psychopath. A woman who had done absolutely nothing other than murder people her entire life. The worst was the charges of sleeping with underage children. 

“What do we do?” Victoria stated, her face made of stone as she stared at the newspaper in shock. For the first time she had absolutely no idea what to do, this would send the hunter community into shock. 

Chris swallowed thickly, his sister had implied very thinly in her successful hunt on the Hale family. He’d ignored it, not wanting believe his sister was capable of something like that. Unlike his family, he did adhere to a strict code, and he felt sick to his stomach…how many of those people had been human? There had been human members in the Hale pack. Some of the last names were familiar…he was a werewolf hunter, so of course, they were. 

At least two of those packs had human members. 

“Mom, dad, what’s going on?” Allison asked, as she wandered in, dropping her bag her content demeanour dropping from her face. She was feeling good at finally having the complete truth from her parents. Not that they could deny it, she had seen his face turn monstrous. 

They’d called Kate all night, leaving horrible voicemails, both furious about her for revealing the supernatural world to their daughter. 

“You’re staying home today, no school,” Chris stated firmly. 

“If she remains off, it looks as though we have something to hide,” Victoria argued, “Makes her look guilty,” as always looking out for the best when it came to the Argent name, despite the fact she was only married into the family. 

“You mean us look guilty,” Chris argued, “Look this will all blow over, but I don’t want her hearing what everyone is saying! Not without having all the facts!” Goodness gracious, they were going to be saying horrible things. Calling her aunt a sexual predator, a murderer, he didn’t want that for his girl. She meant the world to him more than being a hunter, more than his own sister and even father. As it should be, she was the one thing he’d done right, and honestly? Chris did not want her to have anything to do with the hunter community. He and Victoria had constantly logged heads over it, but the one thing they’d agreed on, waiting until she was eighteen years old. 

“What is going on?” Allison called out loudly, glancing between her arguing parents. They argued often, quietly, but rarely in front of her. 

Chris and Victoria stared at each other, before Chris sighed, crumbling in the face of his wife’s determination. 

“Sit down,” Chris said, his stomach still churning, he was having trouble digesting everything he had just read about his sister…his daughter revered the ground Kate walked on. How on earth could she begin to comprehend the list of her crimes? 

He knew he couldn’t. 

Today was going to be a very long day, he was just waiting on the inevitable conversation with his father. 

Allison tried to peer at the newspaper but her dad folded it up so she couldn’t see anything. Sitting down, staring between her parents, beginning to realise this was something very big, and very bad. 

She was right. It was bad. 

By the end of the stilted conversation Allison was sobbing and being sick against the toilet inconsolable. She hadn’t been hardened against life the way her parents had after how they were raised in a world of ‘monsters’ as they were told they were. 

\----------0

Harry hadn’t been surprised by the fact Peter and Derek took off after they returned home. Or rather Derek took off, and Peter excused himself to go after him. If anything had happened due this, he was pleased to see, that it was Peter and Derek were slowly getting closer again. Derek would probably take a lot of time before he truly forgave Peter for what happened with his sister. Knowing and having proof that Peter wasn’t to blame wasn’t quite the same as knowing deep down in your heart and forgiving the perpetrator. He would come to the realisation though, that whether Peter had done the deed or not…Laura would never have gotten out of Beacon Hills alive. 

The wards pinged, alerting him to Hermione’s presence, she couldn’t make her way into the property, she hadn’t been here in years. So she was no longer connected to them, he changed them up and added new layers of security, more so after Peter and Derek came. 

If she planned on staying then he’d need to add her to the wards again. 

Apparating to the edge of his wards, he grinned happily at the sight of Hermione. She had changed since Hogwarts, they all had, but teenage Ron would have gaped and drooled over the sight that Hermione made now. Her hair straight and tied up into a professional do with the interview she just had. She had a suit on, very little make-up, she’d never been one for wearing it anyway. She looked beautiful, anything was better than the grieving mess she’d been years back. 

“Hey! How are you doing? I’ve not heard anything from you for a few weeks…got a new man in your life?” Harry teased, knowing she tended to avoid writing to him when she started a new relationship. Not out of old fear that Harry wouldn’t approve, at least not anymore. 

“No, no new man,” Hermione said with a wide smile on her face. Honestly, she never introduced her significant other until her relationships were less new. Till they were confident in their relationship, or so she thought, they never lasted long afterwards. Getting threatened by Harry Potter would terrify everyone apparently. He took his brotherly duties very seriously, and it annoyed her to no end. “Just preparing for the interview and catching up at work, making sure there wasn’t any loose ends left, I’ve taken two weeks off, I was due a holiday anyway.” 

“Coffee?” Harry asked her, giving her the gesture to come along both continued to talk as they walked. 

“I wouldn’t mind, we have a lot of catching up to do apparently, Teddy’s been regaling me tales of ‘Peter this’ ‘Peter that’ or ‘Derek this’ and ‘Derek that’ you wouldn’t happen to know what’s going on would you?” Hermione teased, Stiles she was used to hearing about, Jimmy she was also coming to know more about but it was slightly jarring to have two new people in Teddy’s life that wasn’t at Hogwarts to her immense surprise. 

Harry laughed, unsurprised that Teddy wrote to his ‘Aunt Hermione’ he often saw him writing to her during the summer holidays. It wasn’t a leap to think Teddy did this during the school year too. “He’s taken a real shine to them,” he agreed, with a wistful smile. 

“Why do I get the feeling this all centres around my new job offer?” Hermione asked, as they walked up the steps and into the house. 

“Nothing escapes your notice, does it?” Harry said quietly, “You’d be right, it does.” He probably would have been better actually writing to her instead of having to tell her while Peter and Derek were lurking around outside. Opening the door for Hermione, he followed her in afterwards flicking his wand towards the coffee machine and before long two coffees were there for the taking. 

“What’s been happening?” Hemione asked, “Does it have anything to do with the book you gave me?” she had been so excited to get it, she’d never learned about different kinds of lycanthrope before. She had utterly devoured the book within forty-eight hours. She’d barely slept, the book even ate up her attention during lunch hours. 

“Very much so,” Harry explained, grabbing the two cups, and claimed a seat, passing one of the cups towards Hermione. “It’s a long sordid tale,” he sighed, before summoning some biscuits and put them in the middle between them. 

“Then tell me everything,” Hemione suggested, but it was more of an order. 

So Harry did. 

He spent the next hour explaining firstly, the understanding the Lycan community had with the magical one. What happened six years ago to the Hale family. Including the fact that Derek and Laura ran, leaving their comatose uncle. How the hunters had been responsible, the fact they stuck around. How Laura had been investigating what happened, the hunters swift retribution in order to finish what they started. How all the while Kate Argent had been going around America decimating entire packs. Only to return when the shit began to go down, the fact she shot Derek, then how he’d found her torturing him. Everything about Scott he’d had to deal with, and Stiles. Telling the tale culminating towards the ending he’d just seen with Argent being set alight. 

Hermione sat listening, refraining from asking millions of questions when Harry gestured towards her to keep silent. Each question she had was inevitably answered. By the end of it she had done pale in shock and red in anger, until she was almost steaming at the ears with rage so profound that it almost surprised Harry. It shouldn’t Hermione had been constantly judged by the Pure-blood’s for being different all her life. She knew how it felt to be picked on for simply being different…to know such a thing was happening under the Ministry’s eyes so enraged her. 

After hearing everything, Hermione found herself speechless, just staring at Harry horrified. It took her ten minutes to find her voice, “No wonder you wanted me to head the department,” knowing she was one of the few Harry genuinely trusted, and she revelled in that fact. 

“It’s going to be big, Hermione, this department I mean…you’re going to be responsible for probably hundreds of people.” Harry pointed out, eyes gleaming, “That’s going to be your workers…that doesn’t include the creatures that will fall under your protection category.” 

“What about this agreement Alpha Hale signed with the President of MACUSA? Doesn’t it interfere with the truce?” Hermione asked thoughtfully. 

“Hopefully the new Alpha might make a new one of his own,” Harry said quietly, “It’s clear that they cannot do this alone anymore. It’s becoming very dangerous not just to the Lycans but to us as well.” 

“And let me guess it supersedes any of the clauses written on the agreement?” Hermione said, nodding seriously, knowing how cautious the American magical world was, it didn’t surprise her. She would though, very much love to read it. 

“It does,” Harry nodded his agreement. 

“Can I see a copy of it?” Hermione asked, knowing that Harry definitely had a copy of it. 

“It’s in my office, I’ve been meaning to show Derek and Peter it,” Harry said, his voice softening as he spoke of the two Hales. 

Hermione silently realized that Harry had it bad. Harry didn’t take well to strangers, or new people much. He’d help them, don’t get her wrong, but trust them? No, Harry didn’t trust many people. He’d been hurt so much by the people he had trusted that he just found it difficult. She was pleased that he was opening up, and made a mental note to warn both Peter and Derek with death if they hurt or betrayed Harry. Turnabout was fair play after all, how many of her boyfriends had Harry caused to flee the scene as if Cerberus was on their tails. 

Feeling rather smug with herself, they abandoned the mostly finished coffee cups and biscuits, Hermione followed Harry to his office. Right away she could tell he’d just finished a case, and hadn’t quite taken everything down. All the information she had heard just a while ago was laid bare in evidence to his unquestionable statements. “You’re already beginning something else?” she questioned, noticing that he had a new board up, with very little information. 

Harry always found stuff, so either he’d been too distracted OR he’d just begun it. 

“Yeah,” Harry murmured, digging through the ‘messy’ piles, but the reality was he knew where everything was. He copied the information and handed the long parchment over to Hermione. Her eyes widened at how long the list was. “I do have somewhere I need to be, I’m taking Scott and his mother to an Alpha friend of mine, we’re hoping to get him sorted.” 

“Yes, hopefully that will work,” Hermione agreed, the thought of arresting an underage boy wasn’t pleasant to say the least. However, they couldn’t let him kill again, even if it wasn’t completely his fault, he had been warned by others around him. It was a damn shame an innocent girl had died because he wasn’t taking their warnings seriously. Although he might be underage here, in Britain he’d already be considered an adult and responsible for his actions. “It’s a good job he doesn’t live in Britain, Azkaban would have been…terrible,” and he would have been arrested, there would have been no fight for extenuating circumstances. 

“It would have, but at least then the girls parents would have truly gotten justice for their daughter,” Harry sighed, his only show of regret in his helping of the teenager. They’d never know what really happened, instead ‘Kate Argent’ had killed her, but her ‘death wasn’t in vain’ she’d helped to stop a serial killer. The injustice stung fiercely, but Harry couldn’t do anything about it, their secret had to remain just that. He had anonymously donated money to them though, after looking through their finances to see that they’d been working two jobs just to send their daughter to a good school. It would ease the strain of a funeral, but it was a pittance compared to their daughters life. 

“Does he even know how hard you fought for him?” Hermione asked quietly, rolling up the parchment, she’d read it later. 

Harry huffed in bitter amusement, “No, he just wanted to fight every stipulation I had managed to secure for his release. Didn’t want to quit his part-time job at the vets, didn’t want to quit lacrosse, he’s just being all around very difficult to deal with. Now I know his life has changed…but Hermione, he’s using his newfound powers for his own gain while decrying why he hates being a werewolf…I’ve never seen a bigger hypocrite in my life.” Rubbing his temples in silent agitation.

“Does Alpha Satomi know everything?” Hermione asked quietly, putting ‘Alpha’ in front of her name as respect dictated when talking about Alpha’s you only knew by name and hadn’t been given leave to use their name. 

“I had to tell her everything if I hold down any hope that she’d be able to help Scott.” Harry said, “I tried not to sound biased, I don’t want her going into this with a unfair belief of Scott.” Everyone dealt with trauma differently, and yes, Scott was being a pain in the ass, but with a little luck he’d outgrow it and become a werewolf that he could feel pride in, accept himself wholly and come to understand what pack was. Everyone was capable of change, he could only hope that Scott was one of those people. 

“I see,” Hermione murmured absently, perhaps her talking to Scott would help. She knew what it was like to be thrust into a world she knew nothing about. The supernatural would was scary enough without the trauma Scott went through. Even rationalising it didn’t help with the knowledge of a child’s death. Surely he realized just how dangerous his life was now and knows to do things the right way? 

\------0

Do you want to see more Argent reactions or is what's been written enough? What will become of them once the wizards descend on the place to inform them they were no longer allowed to hunt? or will they just be watched, waiting to see if/when they screw up? Will Allison be allowed to remember the supernatural or will she be obliviated due to how new she is to the entire thing? will there be an all out war between the hunters and wizards? Or will we see them dealt with slowly and surely until the department is up and running? Sorry about Ron...I just have no use for him in this story! Read and Review Please!


	25. Chapter 25

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 25 

“Good afternoon, Satomi, how are you?” Harry picked up her call, he had been aware of her pending call, she had informed him that she would be in touch before he was due to bring Scott McCall to her territory. Muffling a yawn as he placed bank statements and everything else he’d collected belonging to Gerard Argent in front of him. Now that his biggest casefile was finished and he had no other orders from MACUSA he was beginning to look into Argent. The money he had available was quite…immense, and it wasn’t coming from either of his kids, and it had only started accumulating the past thirty years, dropped into his account randomly, from all different accounts. Holding the phone with his shoulder, he began to mark off the large incomes on the statements with a highlighter, knowing he wouldn’t get to it right now so it would make it easier when he returned to it if it was all ready in place for him. 

“Good afternoon, is everything still going according to plan?” Satomi asked, wondering if all was well in Beacon Hills, she knew Harry was working on a case but that was the extent of her knowledge. She also knew Harry’s job was quite dangerous, and he dealt with people who had nothing to lose. 

“Yes, we’ll definitely be there, it’s too important not to,” Harry explained, glancing to his side when he sensed something. He wasn’t quite that surprised to see Peter standing there like he owed the building, a cup of coffee in his hand. Listening intently to what was happening all around him, while listening to the conversation too. “Peter is here as well,” he added switching to the loudspeaker, as he continued to work without him arm impeded. By the time he was done highlighting there were dozens of questionable money drops deposited into the account. A frown was marring his features, he had to find out where those deposits were coming from. There were just as many transfers from his accounts to others too. 

“Hello, Peter, I’m pleased to hear about your recovery, I do hope you’ll come with Harry this afternoon so we can meet up to hash out an alliance?” a hint of questioning in her voice. She wasn’t used to dealing with Peter, it was usually Talia and her second – who had been Laura at that point – Peter had always been the left hand. The protector of the entire pack, so he was quite often busy. Still, she knew him well enough to be comfortable in his presence and knowing how resilient the Hales were to have survived so long, she knew they would thrive once again. 

“It would be my pleasure,” Peter said smoothly, no hint of the shock he was feeling, just like that? She knew his pack was non-existent, well practically, his own Beta was refusing to adhere to pack rules, and was being deliberately disobedient yet she wanted to make an alliance with him? He had assumed he would have lost any and all suggestions of an alliance the moment Harry told Satomi of the occurrences here at Beacon Hills territory. He knew he wouldn’t have given himself the time of day, what with him being unable to control a single little Beta. He pondered on what exactly Harry had told Satomi and whether she was perhaps unaware of it. 

“Good,” Satomi said her tone relaxing further, “Your sister she was an amazing Alpha, and I have little doubt given time you will be too.” 

Peter bit his tongue to stop himself roaring at the phone that he was an alpha, a good one. “Thank you,” Peter said, straining slightly to be polite. 

“We will both be on the road as soon as Beacon Hill High school is let out,” Harry added, “Does your pack know we’re coming?” 

“Of course, they must be made aware of any changes so as not to attack first think later,” Satomi explained, very aware of the fact Harry was basically a novice when it came to pack politics. “Is there anything else you think I should be aware of when it comes to Scott?” 

“I don’t think so,” Harry said, scrubbing his scruff on his jaw he needed to shave, which he did the Muggle way, despite the fact he had been first taught the magical way. “Just be prepared for a sulky brat,” shrugging his shoulders almost tiredly, he’d done all he could for Scott, and this was only because he was Stiles best friend. 

“I’m rather adept at handling that,” Satomi confessed, she took in Omega teenagers, each of them remained with her instead of going hunting for another pack. That showed more than anything else what a good job she was doing, and not all of them were bitten wolves who had lost their pack. 

Harry laughed humourlessly, “Yeah? I think he’s going to succeed in pushing all our buttons before the night is out,” and he wasn’t kidding, Scott was just impossible. Oh, don’t get him wrong, he hoped, sincerely hoped that Scott would get on with Satomi with her being new, different and a woman. Then there’s also the fact that Scott’s mother would be there, hopefully she’d curtail some of his attitude as well. “I’ll see you in a few hours, Satomi, I want to squeeze in a bit more work before I come, even my evenings are being taken up these days. Oh, I’d very much like to meet the former members of the Talbot pack, I have news for them.” 

Satomi laughed, gave her upstanding and hung up with a quiet and respectful goodbye. 

“Why are you looking into Argents finances?” Peter asked uttering the word with extreme prejudice. 

“Because he was careful, very, very careful not to be directly involved in anything his daughters did,” Harry revealed, leaning back in his chair, twisting it around so he could see Peter properly. “Which means despite all the evidence and names we have of Hunters there is still one thing missing, confessions and revelations of guilt. Even we need to find someone guilty before they’re arrested, and only then can I get permission to use Veritaserum to get to the bottom of the truth.” Suddenly very, very grateful he could hide his feelings behind occlumency walls, by Merlin, Peter was breath-taking, the clothes he was wearing were his own, or rather bought recently and they fitted him immaculately, suited him too. He dressed well, too well in his opinion. He made sure to keep his gaze level with Peter’s as he spoke, “There’s no doubt he’s involved in some seriously shady shit, but the good thing is we can get information that the police wouldn’t.” it was the wonder of having magic. 

Quickly snapping pictures of each piece of paper with statements on it, he uploaded them to an email and sent it off in a flash. Charlie would be able to dig into this for him and quickly too, she’d also get information that the police wouldn’t. Charlie was a squib so she was aware of everything that was going on. He had no doubt it would be in his email within three to five hours, she had never let him down. She was a genius with computers, did things that boggled Harry’s mind. Welcome to the electronics age he guessed. 

“And if he hasn’t directly got his hands dirty?” Peter questioned darkly, eyes gleaming with malice. 

“Do you believe that is the case?” Harry enquired calmly, which eased some of the darkness from Peter’s face. 

“No,” Peter confessed, Gerard was definitely guilty, he had undeniably got his hands dirty he’d bet his fortune on that.

“Then we will get him,” Harry stated firmly. “It’s only the matter of time.” 

Peter nodded mutely, he would very much prefer a hands on approach, but he realized with the magical world in the picture…if he did anything then his own life would be in jeopardy. Before he got better he wouldn’t have cared about that, he would have done what was necessary, avenged his pack and gladly went on to meet his maker. Now though he had something to live for, a mate, his nephew who clearly needed direction, an alpha, and that was unquestionably him now. He refused to let the Argents take away his future, they’d already taken the majority of his pack and six years of his life. 

For the next hour Harry got busy gleaning everything he could from the normal databases when it came to Gerard. Pinning all relevant information to boards. Mapping out everywhere he had been for the past seven years, from car rentals, property rentals, and it was all mismatched, but with facial recognition running, Harry was getting every single one of Argent’s fake ID’s and adding those names to the database and beginning to get a full picture. 

All the while Peter and Harry talked, about nothing important, just likes and dislikes to jobs and things they had desired to do before life waylaid them. Peter did notice that Harry never once spoke of his past, never gave any indications of fond memories of parents, or even guardians. Normally Peter wouldn’t be cautious about just outright asking, but this was his mate, he did not wish to scare him away. 

\------------0

Harry along with Peter – who was giving him directions – drove towards Beacon Hills High School, parking just as the bell went. Harry sighed softly, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as he stared ahead. He would have prayed to a god he didn’t believe in just to get Scott to behave. If he screwed things up with Satomi…the nearest pack was hundreds of miles away. And that was if they would take the Beta, there was no guarantee they would. He couldn’t keep the fact he was or had dated an Argent from them. 

“Regretting helping him?” Peter asked, his tone bland, revealing none of his thoughts or feelings for his reluctant Beta. If there was one thing he regretted other than Laura it would be biting Scott McCall. What on earth had his wolf been thinking? Anyone, absolutely anyone would have been better. Unfortunately it wasn’t his reality, and thankfully Satomi would be able to help the boy so his failure wasn’t so blatant. He could sense the deep seated frustration, but who emotions were aimed at was a mystery. Given where they were, it wasn’t difficult to deduce whom it was aimed at.

“No, despite my anger and frustration at him, he’s a teenager, added with new wolfy emotions it isn’t easy for him. He’s rebelling, at least I hope that’s all it is.” Harry mused, he was trying to be understanding, but he was fast losing his patience with the boy. 

“And if it’s not?” Peter queried arching his eyebrow Harry’s way. 

“Then I honestly don’t know,” Harry confessed, rubbing his brow, “At the end of the day I can at least say I tried everything I could to help him.” even if he wouldn’t help himself. “I’ll be right back,” he added, leaving the car with the keys still in it, he made his way inside the main building. It didn’t take him long to hear the sound of Stiles voice laced with sarcasm as it often was. A group of boys were making their way into a room, with what looked like Lacrosse gear slung over their shoulders. 

He zoned in on a boy following them at a distance, hunched down as if he was hoping to avoid being seen. A pang of sympathy shot through him, wondering if the boy was bullied at school, given how tall he no doubt was, this surprised him. Not that bullies were deterred much when it came to their choice of victims. Surprise flickered through him, when the boy also entered the same room. So he was on the Lacrosse team as well, those that play sports in his opinion were rarely bullied, although Stiles and Scott had been regularly bullied. 

Annoyance replaced all feelings when he saw Scott McCall with a girl for a few moments before he jogged over to the room and disappeared within with a reverential look on his face while looking at the girl. A girl he knew to be Allison Argent, did that boy have any self-preservation whatsoever? If he did it was a Flobberworm kind of self-preservation. 

Fury soon replaced that annoyance, he’d told the boy he wasn’t to play any sports, what the hell did he think he was doing? He’d been pretty fucking clear about how things were going to be. Avoiding any students that got in his way he made his way towards the room, and shoved the door open, his gaze landing on Scott McCall his green eyes flashing in seething anger. 

“Uh-oh,” Stiles murmured, glancing at Scott, he was definitely in trouble, he didn’t think he’d seen Harry this pissed off, with the exception when Harry furiously laid into him for taunting who he knew now was Peter in Alpha form. 

Scott just straightened up determinedly, his chin out in defiance, refusing to back down despite the fact his wolf was cowering. 

Despite Scott being his focus of attention, he noticed that one of the boys had flinched and scooted away from the anger clearly blazing from Harry in droves. Green eyes flickered over and noticed it was the same boy from before. The fear was unbelievably bad, it made Harry’s stomach twist unpleasantly vividly reminded of his own fear during his childhood. 

“I see you’re wanting arrested then, Scott?” Harry made no effort to keep his voice low. “You’re completely ignoring the terms of the agreement laid out for you…will I be bringing you to the station or are you going to come with me and continue to let me oversee the terms of your probation?” 

Stiles pursed his lips, the urge to say something sarcastic was strong but he definitely didn’t want to get on Harry’s bad side right now. Especially not when he was finally getting to learn magic. He could see how angry he was at Scott, and he didn’t blame him. As a child of an officer of the law, he sort of realized just how far Harry had gone to help Scott on an official level. Harry had stuck his neck out for him, and Scott was acting as though he hadn’t murdered anyone. Hell, Stiles was still struggling to come to terms with that fact himself. 

Even Jackson was quiet which was very unlike the douche, it was bordering on bloody unreal. 

Scott flushed red, his eyes getting a little wolfy as his anger got the better of him – as if often did. Although to Stiles surprise just as he was prepared to intervene Scott was distracted by his phone ringing. It was his mom, Stiles recognized the tune. In turn he brushed passed Harry and left the room, even doing so they could hear his whining. 

“Stiles, inform your professor that Scott McCall will not be playing Lacrosse again, go on all of you, you’re already late.” Harry jerked his head for them to leave, no doubt their teacher would come looking for them. 

Stiles twitched a little at the term ‘Professor’ but nodded his head, very aware that this was what they called their teachers at Hogwarts. Stiles was the first to move, Harry gave his neck a little squeeze as he passed, silently reassuring him, pack Stiles thought inwardly, they were acting like a pack, and Stiles loved it. To be part of something bigger, better, to have family that just wasn’t his dad was…amazing. He wasn’t alone, he could truly confide in Harry about everything. 

Harry stepped in front of Isaac stopping him from leaving, Jackson was about to open his mouth before Stiles caught his attention and shook his head solemnly. He blinked in shock when Jackson actually listened to him, as he grabbed his stick before leaving the room. To prove he hadn’t fully changed of course, he shoved Stiles as he left. 

“That boy was assault, in front of a Federal agent, are you looking for a trip to the cells tonight?” Harry stated coolly not even looking in Jackson and Stiles direction. 

Jackson swallowed thickly mouthing ‘What the fuck…’ before making his exit, hastily making his way to the field, not wishing to push his luck with the unknown Federal agent. He knew better than to mess with the law with his father being a lawyer, he reckoned even his dad wouldn’t be able to get him out of any dispute with the law onside. 

Stiles laughed in amusement, as he too disappeared without another word. He’d probably pay for it later when the shock wore off, but Stiles didn’t much care. He’d forever remember and relish the look on Jackson’s normally smug face. Man, too bad Teddy wasn’t here, he would have loved it. 

“Look at me,” Harry said, his voice soft and soothing, a deep contrast to how he had been mere moments ago. Kneeling down so he was shorter than the boy. 

Isaac did, out of fear of what this federal agent would do to him if he didn’t do ask asked. There was nothing but warmth and sincerity in those green eyes, which eased him somewhat despite his reservations or best intentions. When there eyes met, Harry got everything he needed to know. 

“Your father won’t change,” Harry said with deceptive mildness, inwardly he was furious over what he’d seen. “No matter how well you do in school, or out of it. It’s him that’s the problem, not you, it’s never you despite what he tells you. You could be absolutely perfect at everything and he’d still find an excuse, its who he is.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Isaac immediately protested. 

Harry just smiled sadly at him, “One day you’ll realize you don’t deserve what he’s done to you. Now I know you don’t want to end up in the system so I will make a promise to ensure you don’t end up there.” Isaac immediately began shaking his head, refusing to listen to him. “If you change your mind…this is my number, call me, and I will help you. If you don’t trust my word…talk to Stiles.” He handed over a piece of paper with his number on it, not his official one, no doubt such a thing upon his person would end up with him getting beaten. 

Standing up, he added one last thing, “You deserve better Isaac,” using his first name despite the fact he shouldn’t know it. 

Judging by the startled look on his face it had quickly dawned on him too. 

With that Harry walked out of the room, and found Scott sitting on the bench still talking to his mother. 

“Let’s go,” Harry commanded, refusing to be late to Satomi’s. 

\-------------0 

To say the drive towards Satomi’s was tense would be putting it bluntly. Peter and Harry were at the front, while Melissa and Scott were in the back of Harry’s SUV. Scott had tried to go to Lacrosse practise. Fortunately for all concerned, his mother called him right then and demanded his compliance that if he didn’t she would make sure he was put in a cell herself. For that Harry was grateful, it wasn’t as though he could just force the boy out the school with everyone watching without raising a few eyebrows. He’d rather not have to obliviate anyone, especially not a school filled with children.

Instead of protesting, Scott was now sulking. 

It didn’t help that his mom had many questions and she was asking Peter a lot of them. All the while Scott was just steadily getting redder in the face at how good-mannered Peter was being. In Scott’s view Peter was a monster, who had turned him into a monster and was now proceeding to turn his entire life upside down. He loathed both Peter and Harry in equal measures. It didn’t help that school was going to be a nightmare, the entire Lacrosse team were going to be glaring at him, threatening him and worse…the entire school were going to side with the popular jocks. He’d go back to whom he used to be. The invisible asthmatic friend of a loudmouthed sarcastic boy who got on everyone’s nerves. 

“Adolescence is difficult even for born wolves who have perfect control over themselves,” Peter answered her next question with rare patience. Perhaps it was the fact that the main player who had destroyed his pack was dead. Or perhaps it was because his task was more or less done, he had gotten his revenge after all. “My nieces and nephews had difficult times of it, but they knew when to back away from society. Derek played Basketball while in high school, with his strength it was risky, but he never once caused any concern, or lost control or focus while playing.” Before the games were another thing altogether, in his last few years before the fire it had been difficult, more so after what happened to Paige. 

Harry pursed his lips as he drove, Peter was giving subtle digs at Scott all the while being very refined while answering Melissa’s questions. That was the fifth one in the half hour drive already. He wasn’t sure whether Scott was understanding though, considering his face was just as red as it had been ever since he had stood in front of the teen demanding he come with him. 

“How long does it take for a werewolf to master control?” Melissa asked, a concerned frown on her face, as she listened intently to everything Peter said. 

“These are the sort of questions I expected from Scott,” Harry interrupted the conversation, glancing at Melissa from behind his dark sunglasses before turning back to the empty road. “But unfortunately he hasn’t asked any questions. Its why this has been necessary, I am hoping with someone outside of this entire mess may be able to give him the solace he needs in order to come to terms with everything.” 

“It’s not a matter of how long, it’s a matter of finding ones anchor,” Peter continued after Harry finished speaking, “A true anchor that will outlast feeble emotions. Satomi has a lot of experience taking in Omega’s and making them part of her pack, she’s coached dozens if not more teenagers and adults in gaining control. She will have a greater understanding on Scott’s outlook than I,” not only was Satomi bitten like Scott, but with so many Omega’s coming and going she had probably gained unique insight into their thoughts and feelings. He saw the bite as a gift, he couldn’t conceive Scott’s thoughts being anything other than positive. Plus, he had been born a werewolf, he had no ‘desire’ to be human or anything of the sort while Scott obvious did want to be human again…the hypocrite he was, also using his new strength to garner acolytes and praise and become popular. 

“These lessons will definitely help him?” Melissa asked, quite relieved to hear that. It meant she definitely had to take him to each and every one of them. She would not let her son become lost. No, he would most definitely gain control, pay for his crimes – although truthfully she’d never been able to forget he had taken a life – and make something of his future. 

“They will only help if Scott is willing to learn and listen,” Harry said grimly, “Otherwise she will be just wasting her valuable time.” And it was valuable, she was helping those that were lost, who willingly wanted to learn before they hurt the ones they loved or innocent people. Thankfully she was all too willing to help Scott, mostly because he had called in his favour, she had said she owed him for saving her life and the rest of her pack by extension. She’d been very happy to clean the slate where the debt was concerned. To Harry it said a lot about her age, in this day and age nobody really cared about debts. Just thought people did things out of the goodness of their hearts. Which he had done, it most certainly hadn’t been in a bid to gain a debt from her. 

Scott scowled and gritted his teeth, hating the fact they were talking about him as if he wasn’t there. The urge to speak out was strong, almost as strong as his sulking desire to remain silent no matter what. Childishly refusing to let them get the better of him, or think they were. Unfortunately for Scott he didn’t realize just how much of an open book he was…or as Harry would say…he wore his emotions on his sleeve, much as Harry used to do as a teenager. 

He opened his mouth to demand that they stop talking about him as though he wasn’t there. 

“We’re here,” Harry replied, turning into a dirt road with nothing but trees surrounding them with ‘private property’ signs posted. He slowed the SUV down a bit as he began to speak clearly and concisely to Scott and Melissa. “Wait for the Alpha to speak first, bare your neck, don’t try and shake her hand, scents are important to werewolves, they hate having to do the human gestures,” before long they made their way passed the trees to a large property with a lot of land surrounding them. 

In the clearing there were over a dozen werewolves fully shifted, fighting each other, but it was clearly friendly fights as they weren’t truly hurting one another. There was a woman watching them all with eagle eyes, giving comments or criticisms on their footwork or the way they were fighting or urging them to change the way they lunged to attack. 

One glance at them from Satomi, the one watching over her pack, she informed them that their lesson was over for today. They did not waste any time whatsoever in returning to the house shoving at each other grinning happily as their visages became human once more. Two of her pack were called to her side, which they did without argument or pause, they listened to their Alpha, without even stopping to think. 

“Talbot pack?” Harry guessed correctly. 

“I cannot scent them from here,” Peter stated, stepping out of the vehicle, his eyes flashing red as he dipped his neck to the side in deference to Satomi and letting her know he was friendly and not there for a fight. Which she already knew of course, but manners had to be observed after all. In turn Satomi’s eyes flashed back a wide welcoming smile appearing on her face. “Yes,” he finally answered Harry’s question after getting a full waft of their scents even across the clearing. 

“Alpha Hale!” she called as she made her way towards them, nodding in approval as the humans – which included Harry even though he was a wizard – who showed the proper deference to her position in her pack and the fact they were on her territory. “It’s so good to see you again, I am pleased to hear of your recovery. And I am so sorry for your loss, Talia was…a good friend, and our packs were allies.” It may have happened years ago, but this was the first time she had seen him. Genuine sorry and sadness waved from the Alpha showing she meant her words. Repeating her earlier sentiments in a different way. 

“Alpha Satomi,” Peter said, deferent to her, “Thank you for welcoming me to your home, I wish you and your pack well. Thank you for your condolences, and I hope we can be allies once more.” 

Melissa watched what was happening deeply uncomfortable, this was so out of the realm of her normal every day life that she felt very odd standing there. Deference’s, the way they were speaking, it was very much weird were packs always this way? She wanted to ask but didn’t dare to, after all she had been told to wait until the Alpha spoke to her first, even then she had no idea what she could or couldn’t do. She couldn’t mess this up for her son. She knew, knew that this was Scott’s last chance before he had his freedom ripped from him. 

“Of course, Peter, I wish for nothing more,” Satomi said seriously, “Do you wish to inform them or shall I?” smiling warmly at Harry, who had her complete and total trust. 

“I will,” Harry said, turning to face the two teenagers who’d had their entire lives turned upside down when their pack was killed. He could see how apprehensive they were, worried they were going to be removed from all they knew and sent somewhere else. They knew deep down that Satomi would never do that, she had never done so in the past, so the likelihood of it happening was slim but it didn’t help their fears fade. 

“You will be pleased to know the hunter called Kate Argent…who was the one responsible for the attack on your pack has paid the price.” Harry said solemnly, time didn’t make the pain go away, you learned to live with it, and it just hurt a little less as the emotions weren’t quite so wound up all the time. “What goes around comes around, she will never harm another soul again,” he added, giving both an understanding nod, that she had died in pain and flames and ash and soot. 

“Good,” the brother and sister said in sync, eyes flashing supernaturally gold, feeling nothing but sweet relief and satisfaction that their old pack, their family was finally avenged after all this time. Now understanding why Satomi had desired that they remained behind while the others had gone inside. 

“Wait a minute! She’s dead? I need to talk to Allison!” Scott said in blind panic. 

Harry winced at Scott’s words, yes, this was going as badly as he dreaded. 

Peter grimaced, and rolled his eyes, refusing to show any other signs of just how exasperating this situation with McCall actually was. 

“Allison? As in Allison Argent? You’ve brought a wolf that’s associating willingly with the Argent family here?” Brett Talbot spitting the word ‘associating’ as if he truly wanted to call it something else. He stepped away from Scott as if he had found him frothing at the mouth, glancing around the area as if he was expecting an attack to come at any moment. 

“Don’t you dare,” Melissa stepped in front of her son, preventing him from leaving, unless he wanted to hurt her that was. These children must be one of the children of the families killed in those fires. She had read the newspaper this morning, seeing how many had been killed…it made the reality of what Peter, Harry and Derek told her all the more grim. 

Brett’s sister wasn’t reacting any better, those inside either, as they were all going on the defensive. 

“None of the Argents will know about this place, believe me, he’s fully incapable of discussing anything supernatural related with them,” Harry promised the panicked teenagers. Feeling sick as he got glimpses of memories of the fire that had cost them their entire packs, how young Brett had become an Alpha, and how he’d willingly rescinded control to Satomi and became a Beta. “I know it doesn’t make sense at the moment, but trust in your Alpha to keep you safe. I am sure she will tell you everything when she has a chance.” Inform them about magic, Scott didn’t know about it and quite frankly Harry didn’t want the entirety of his abilities revealed to the werewolf. He like the others didn’t truly trust Scott not to end up giving it away. 

Melissa watched everyone’s reactions to the name ‘Argent’ and honestly, after all she heard she couldn’t blame them. She felt nothing but sadness and sympathy for all of them. Nobody deserved to fear for their lives because of prejudice and hatred just because they were werewolves. She was also beginning to realise…her son would find no friends here, not while he was consorting with the Argent’s, perhaps not even afterwards. Even his own kind were going to be afraid to be near him in case he was betraying them. When she first saw them all she’d been so hopeful, here Scott could find acceptance with his own kind, would learn to accept himself and his wolf. From people his own age no less. 

“Mom, come on, we need to go back,” Scott was completely ignoring everything, every protocol, every safeguard, the very essence of leadership that makes a pack. 

“I can see what you mean,” Satomi stated, despite her small stature and kind older woman features, she had a silent strength about her. “I don’t think I’ve seen such disrespect before,” and that was saying something for she had been taking in strays for decades, giving them a better life. 

“You don’t know anything about me!” Scott argued, indignantly eyes flashing supernaturally blue even going a little hairy around his face.

Harry’s shoulders slumped as he shook his head unconsciously, weary to the extreme, Merlin he was exhausted. He’d rather take on a dragon again than continue to face this. He might not be a werewolf, or have known about this kind for long…but he knew regardless that Scott was messing up completely. He wasn’t looking forward to having to explain to the President of MACUSA that Scott was incontrollable, which certainly seems to be the case. 

Every werewolf in the vicinity drew in breath as one, nobody spoke to the Alpha like that, especially not an Alpha who had invited you into their territory, their home, the very place they guard most secretly. It was a sign of faith, of unwavering trust, and Scott was trampling all over it. It took everything in Peter not to show Scott just how little control he could have in this life. 

Satomi drew in a breath before she unleashed her red eyes and roared at Scott, the results were immediate, Scott’s wolf cowered in subservience to the Alpha. “Your control is on very shaky ground,” Satomi stated firmly, “A small argument and you’re almost transforming, has this happened before?” glancing at Harry and Peter in silent query, Harry had not said his control was this bad. 

Peter’s eyes were red, they went that way the second Satomi roared Scott into submission. 

“Unfortunately, yes, even his own best friend isn’t safe from his…anger, he’s almost killed Stiles twice, that’s the sheriff’s son, by the way,” Harry explained, “He won’t learn from me or Peter…you’re my last resort, Scott’s last chance,” stating that to Scott so that he understood just on how thin the layer of ice he was on. “If I cannot help him…then help will be forced upon him from behind bars.” 

“The sheriff’s son?” Satomi eyes flashing red again, “He’s close to completely exposing us?” 

“I won’t let that happen,” Harry reassured her. “I’m going to have to talk to my boss about this since he’s refusing to adhere to the probation I’ve offered him to prevent life in prison.” He threw this part at Scott who paled even further at the words. Scott was going to have to stop his games, otherwise it was game over for him. 

“Please don’t,” Melissa said, shaking from her stupor over what she’d just seen, “He’s just having a difficult time of it, give him another chance,” she was terrified of losing her son. 

“I’m all out of chances, Mrs. McCall, I was out of bloody chances when he killed a girl because he refused to listen to anyone!” Harry’s voice was loud and stained as if he was preventing himself from launching into an attack. Either that or stopping himself from roaring his anger from the rooftops. 

“Let’s see if we can change his ways, shall we?” Satomi said calmly, laying a hand on Harry’s arm, “Mrs. McCall, I’m sure you have many questions, why don’t you follow me? I will answer what I can while Robert, my Second, takes Scott to let off some of that pent up energy he has.” Almost immediately there was another wolf on the scene, Robert they’d bet. 

Peter automatically lay his own hand on Harry, removing the fresh scent of Satomi had put on his mate. He received an amused quirk of Harry’s lips in turn for his actions before they all entered the house. Except Scott and Robert, who were already running, even from where they were they knew Scott was scowling but too worried too disobey again so soon. Especially given how easily his wolf had buckled in the face of an Alpha. It would have been a shock to his system, especially considering how immediate it was. He’d been able to fight off Peter due to his temporarily insanity. Satomi had a powerful pack to back her up, which made her increasingly more powerful than Peter. 

\--------0 

Three hours later, Harry was more than ready to return home. Melissa had questioned Satomi until the Alpha was almost blue in the face. Fortunately Satomi was very patient with her, answering each of her questions without leaving any details out. Including what would happen to her son if she outed them to the general population. Not that Melissa needed it, she was already aware of the consequences of her son revealing the supernatural world. 

Satomi had also discussed the Argent’s in depth along with the rest of the known hunter network. Giving her names to watch out for, in order to best protect her son. Scott was present for much of the discussion after running for over an hour and a half. He had been exhausted enough that there hadn’t been a single complaint other than him stating he hadn’t been this out of breath since his Asthma cleared up.

Every werewolf avoided Scott like he had a bad case of rabies. Even Robert, who Satomi would tell them, was the friendliest of her pack, refused to draw Scott into a conversation during the meeting. They didn’t trust him, the knowledge that he was dating an Argent was making him persona non grata so to speak. Everyone had heard him, and until Scott was gone, they wouldn’t have the reassurances they sought from Satomi on the real realization that Scott truly couldn’t inform the Argents of anything. They had taken the time to introduce themselves to Peter though, who was now considered ‘friend’ to the pack. 

This included talking to Allison about the fact her aunt was dead. 

“Well this is…unexpected,” Harry said thoughtfully, reading through the email he’d received from Charlie. 

Peter glanced Harry’s way, trying to see what had caught his mates attention. 

“Later,” he insisted, refusing to discuss this where Scott was present. 

Peter merely nodded his head in acceptance to the terms, not even needing to read the situation to know why Harry wished to wait. 

“The rest of your questions will have to wait,” Harry stated to Melissa, who seemed to be the mouthpiece for Scott, asking anything werewolf related. “I’m afraid I have a busy evening ahead of me, I promised Derek to help him with something and I don’t intend to break that promise. You’ll forgive us for leaving so soon, perhaps we can return in a few days and share a celebratory meal then?” on a day that Scott wouldn’t be here training. He did wonder if Satomi would find it difficult to help with her entire pack against the idea of Scott being there. She would chose her pack over Scott and their deal hand’s down and Harry honestly didn’t blame her. He hoped it wouldn’t come that though. 

Cora, Peter thought, a strange mixture of excitement and guilt filling him. Getting her here again so they could be a family, a pack was making him and his wolf over the moon so to speak. Yet doubts plagued him, would she be able to forgive him for Laura? He hadn’t been in his right mind…but that didn’t help Derek for the longest time. It wasn’t going to be easy, at least not until they knew what Cora had been through…Christ he felt conflicted, part of him hoped she had a pack, the rest of him hoped that she hadn’t for fear that she’d break her brothers heart by remaining with them. 

“Of course,” Satomi said gracefully standing, “I do hope to see the rest of your pack, Peter, so proper introductions could be made.” 

“I will arrange a get together as soon as I have a date and time when my entire pack is available,” Peter vowed seriously. Building alliances was something that required doing, and he would need them at one point or another just as his sister had required her contacts and allies during tough times. Regretfully it hadn’t saved his family in their true time of need. That fault did not lie with their allies though, and he did not blame them all for going underground after the attack. For without a doubt, Talia would have done the same thing and gone underground with the pack too if news reached them of such a devasting attack. Those that did not…well they paid a very heavy price indeed. 

By entire pack he did include Teddy, Jimmy and Stiles they would love getting together with a whole new host of Were’s and bombard them with questions. He did wonder what the rest of Satomi’s pack would think of his own. 

They were about to be introduced to a whole new world, Satomi knew only a little bit, this would blow them all away. 

It took until Scott and his mom were a mile away from them before Peter questioned Harry, “What happened earlier? What did you find out?” Peter observed Harry grinning in genuine amusement, evidently he’d predicted that he would do this. He had been sitting impatiently waiting for them to get out the damn car after a half-hour drive to return to Beacon Hills. 

“Gerard Argent has cancer,” Harry explained, Merlin, his bed was calling to him, he was exhausted. Yet he couldn’t sleep yet, not only did he have to retrieve Cora, he had Stiles coming tonight to practice his magic. Without a wand or anything to focus on it wasn’t going to be easy, he meant it when he told Stiles it would take years to harness his magic. 

 

\----------------0

There we go! Another chapter for you all to enjoy...I wonder how long in the timeline it is before the 'Alpha' pack makes its appearance...I'll need to check on that one! So, will Cora already be making her way towards Beacon Hills or will Harry and the others be introduced to the pack that's taken in Cora and protected her? I do like the idea of them getting into a fight with another pack :D will Peter realize Derek desperately needs training during this stint? Or will Derek actually be quite an adept fighter? changing it up a bit? Learning from Peter would make him quite a formidable foe after all! Will Scott be allowed back into the pack only to betray them or will Scott behave after calming down? R&R please!


	26. Chapter 26

A Life Worth Living

Chapter 26

Harry clicked open the garage and drove his car into it, just as his phone begun ringing again. Thumping his head against the headrest, he sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose before reluctantly answering his phone.

"Hey, you got something else?" sliding effortlessly from his seat, closing the door, and locking it seeing as Peter – who could obviously move faster than him – was already out of the car and waiting at the doorway his head cocked to the side. Making no effort to conceal the fact he was going to listen in on the conversation.

"The deposits that are going into Gerard Argent accounts? They're death insurances," Charlie explained, her voice grim and serious. "The cases…they're solved, but fuck…they're completely messed up, the guy who solved most of the crimes didn't look at shit," the sarcasm she used was forbidden and ugly.

Harry ceased walking, his face impassive as he stared at the hood of the car. "How many?"

"At least twenty, and before you ask…yes, I do believe they were hunters, all of them young, in their mid-twenties," Charlie went on to explain, "They've certainly been everywhere around America and 'died' during a period of suspicious activities."

"Werewolves?" Harry asked, brow furrowed.

"No, actually, not all of them, the cases have a whole host of different supernatural creatures. Hell, even a Windigo if what I'm reading is right." Charlie explained.

"You always read it right," Harry snorted, "I've never seen you guess and I never will." Not even if someone's life depended on it for Merlin's sake. This didn't make sense, he'd assumed the Argents were Werewolf hunters.

"You still there?" came Charlie's voice down the line.

"I wrongly assumed the Argent's were solely werewolf hunters." Harry admitted gritting his teeth, if he had been a were his eyes would have been flashing such was the extent of his anger.

"That is their primarily targets," Charlie revealed, "At least Chris and Victoria Argent, consistently hunt them down. The other two were less…choosy about who they chose to hunt."

Harry's hands tightened into fists, this was personal to him, probably due to the fact his son was a werewolf. Albeit a different kind, but the fact creatures of any kind were unsafe because of those insane sycophantic waste of breaths.

"There's also something else concerning me," Charlie admitted.

"Concerning you?" Harry asked trepidation filling him. "What is it?"

"There's been some concerning questions being asked, by a member of Beacon Hills High School student…something that's obviously about werewolves. Questions concerning, scars, aconite, hallucinations…"

"Aconite poisoning, have the Argents accidentally shot a human?" Harry was so startled that he raised his voice. Aconite was poisonous to werewolves, yes, but it was also dangerous to humans even if not to the same extent at least not without help. Glancing enquiringly at Peter who shook his head wordlessly, he had no idea and he had nothing to do with what happened.

"It's possible a human could have been caught in the crossfire…Kate Argent was shooting out into the night before she used her sniper rifle to hit Derek." Peter explained, after he'd tried to drag her out of the car by her hair that very night she'd returned to Beacon Hills. Thinking of her didn't cause him to fill with anger and fury, instead he felt nothing but calmness it was almost serene in a way, as he remembered her last moments. 

"Did you get that?" Harry asked Charlie. "Has any human been at the doctors or hospital surrounding Beacon Hills for aconite poisoning? Or do we have a human out there who hasn't gone to the hospital?"

"Hold on," she called out, already typing away hastily.

Harry began moving again, trudging through the house, leaving the car behind.

"Nothing in that database regarding hospitals or doctors but the one asking questions is…" Charlie murmured.

"Jackson Whitmore," Derek and Charlie echoed at the same time, only one was tinged with discomfiture.

Harry whirled around, quirking an enquiring eyebrow at Derek in silent question 'how did he know' sort of way. "He heal?" he continued his conversation with Charlie.

"He seems fine, he's been attending school and participating in sports classes," Charlie replied "Spoiled little brat," she added under her breath.

"How do you know him, Derek?" Harry finally asked the question that was bugging him.

"He knows," Derek stated, his gaze never wavering from Harry's, his chin tilted defensively.

"How much?" Harry asked, closing his eyes, "Damn it, it's never ending, if McCall knows he knows I'm going to kill him myself." Exposure was one of the biggest no-no's in the supernatural community.

Derek relaxed unconsciously, ignoring Peter's amusement at his actions.

"You going to call in some help? Sounds like its getting a bit much for you," Charlie said, genuine concern in her tone.

"You know I work alone," Harry stated immediately. "These cases are…gruelling I'll admit but it's worth it." It helped make the world a little more secure. "Will you send me everything you've got including Whitmore's address…even about the cases of the deceased hunters?"

"Already done it," Charlie chuckled, "I'll keep digging around, call me if you need anything else."

"Will do, bye." Harry hung up immediately. "Killing his own hunters for insurance money? Have you ever heard the like?"

Both Hales remained silent, truth was, nothing about the hunters could truly surprise them. Judging by Harry's scent, he wasn't surprised either, more like concerned. If they knew him at all, it was concern out of what the Elder Argent was capable of.

"Help, help, help," Harry muttered under his breath, "There's nobody around Beacon Hills to be any help." He grumbled, this whole thing was getting out of hand. Nobody knew the area like he did, not one person who could Apparate and see to Scott McCall's punishments at any rate. Plus, there's only one witch he'd trust to ensure Scott learned something.

"What are we? Chopped liver?" Peter stated, insulted, they were a pack, they were supposed to work together.

"You probably could be," Harry said wryly, "Grow one back too." Sighing softly, he disappeared down to the potions lab, grabbing the details on how to find Cora and a Pepper-Up draught and swallowing it down as he ventured back beside the two werewolves.

"Please tell me your first act tonight isn't going to be to ask your sister how she survived the fire?" Harry asked, giving Derek a shrewd look, only to see Derek look genuinely taken aback, either by a correct assumption or realizing that he knew him well enough. "I wouldn't suggest that, ask Peter how it felt to be cut off your pack not only once but twice, your sister went through the same thing. Only as young as she was she probably assumed everyone had died. She's been alone for six years, from the age of ten, she won't be the young innocent girl you remember from before,"

Both Hales flinched for different reasons. However, the honest truth from Harry's heartbeat made them very much aware that the Cora they were going to see wasn't going to be the same one. Something they knew to be true they just didn't want to acknowledge it. Cora was Derek's little sister, and Cora had also been Peter's favourite niece. she'd been the one most similar to him, sassy sarcastic and sweet, able to manipulate everyone around her. It had been a joy to watch her get her way.

The prospect of her being so different hurt in ways he hadn't been hurt yet. Which said a lot since he'd been in a coma and suffered for six years.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked them, holding out the portkey, which he had created through the coordinates to where the girl was.

Neither Hale looked ready, yet they stiffened their spines and nodded tension bleeding from every pore of their body.

"Touch it, when you do, take a deep breath, hold it and remain steady, we're travelling in what I suppose you would call what feels like a…miniature tornado." Harry grimaced at his explanation, but it was the only one he could give. He thought about clarifying it but truthfully his description was the best he could give…certainly better than the one in the books.

Both Hales stepped forward touching the glass bowl they'd seen flash green earlier.

"Producat in domum suam," Harry murmured, and Peter's lips twitched as he understood the words, to bring home indeed before their world began to spin alarmingly. They were able to feel, sense, hear and smell everything as the world passed them by. Rapidly enough that they knew humans could never be able to see it, but as werewolves they were able to see the mesmerising sight of greens and blues as the world blurred around them.

"Okay…I wasn't expecting this," Harry whispered wand flicking out, realizing the danger he was in, "Shit!" Harry lurched himself to the ground as quickly and violently as he possibly could. Barrelling out of the way of the body that flung itself at him, blue eyes had been his only warning. "You might not want to do that again," Harry warned him, as Peter and Derek engaged in their own battles, already shifted.  
A snarl of fury was his only reply before Harry sought out where the sound had come from. "Seriously? Two against one? Well, I suppose this is fair!" Harry cried out indignantly, blasting both of them with a wave of his power, causing both of them to break at least four trees before momentum stopped them going further as they crumpled momentarily to the ground.

Harry was only able to catch a glimpse of Peter and Derek's fights before the two werewolves were back up and running at him. Smart enough to split up and use the trees to give them momentum and the ability to stop his spells hitting them. Or so they would assume anyway, and if he had been a novice magic wielder they'd have been right.

The fastest werewolf was hit with a blasting charm, Harry grimaced as blood splattered on his face. He managed to jerk away from the oncoming claws – not fast enough – before Harry cast the 'Levicorpus' jinx at the last second, sending the werewolf who was still glowing green from the spell to be jerked off his feet and Harry stepped back against the swiping claws not desiring a second set of wounds.

Wincing in pain, Harry pressed his hand against the deep wound. He kept his wand in his grip, eyes zoning around the immediate area suspiciously. He didn't interfere with Peter or Derek's fight. Even if they looked moments away from losing their clothes completely with all the wounds they had accumulated.

"Where's your Alpha?" Harry asked the one currently not strung up by his ankles, yet. The werewolf was crouched ready to jump him, but so far was refusing to move, watching him like a predator watched his prey for weakness before springing. "For Merlin's sake, we're here for Cora Hale, that's her brother and uncle. We didn't come here to fight, they had no idea she survived the fire until a week ago. We mean you no harm so STAND DOWN!."

That actually gave them pause, the fight between the two unknown werewolves and the Hales came to abrupt stop. All of them bloody, ripped and torn but inevitably already healing, or at least three our of the four. Peter was an Alpha after all, and the one he was fighting was a Beta, not as strong or fast, or able to heal.

He should consider himself lucky, if Peter had wanted to he could have killed him. Even feral and against an Alpha after being in a coma for six years, with wolfsbane running through his system he'd been able to overpower Laura. Though Harry wasn't sure how much she'd tried to fight back. Considering the pictures he'd seen, he suspected she'd fought viciously for her life. He would like to see what Peter was capable of in a real fight.

Peter snarled violently and viciously, claws unsheathed as he stared at the werewolf hung up by Harry's magic. Ready to dig his claws into  
his heart and destroy the werewolf who had hurt his mate driven purely by instinct.

Derek didn't dare interfere, he'd been raised better than that, he knew Peter would hurt him – possibly even kill him again - if he tried  
anything at the moment. The only one with a chance of preventing this werewolf's death was Harry and he wasn't even sure the wizard knew about the potential – more than that really – mate bond. Peter hadn't exactly been forthcoming, in his experience Peter rarely did anything unless it benefited him too. Nothing dangerous, or rather intended to be at any rate. Peter had a tendency to underestimate quite a lot.

Something he had in common with his Uncle actually he finally, finally acknowledged.

"Wait," a new voice interjected, sounding extremely nervous, as the thirty something year old werewolf Alpha declared. "He's newly turned, he isn't Intune to all his senses…yet, he didn't mean to attack your mate."

Annnd Peter wasn't going to be able to get out of this one if he hadn't. Derek glanced briefly at Harry, who surprisingly didn't give anything away, neither by expression or scent which had oddly enough faded completely. It had to be his magic, Druids were capable of it, so wizards had to be too.

"She's not here is she?" Harry asked the Alpha, shifting away from Peter's probing fingers.

"Would you remind releasing my Beta Druid?" the Alpha asked, his tone respectful and bordering on terrified.

"Tell me where she is first," Harry countered, calling him a damn druid was insulting. A Druid could only wish to have his kind of powers. He wasn't quite so successful in keeping those feelings contained, as he saw everyone surrounding him shift uneasily. His lips twitched, bemused by their actions. There were five of them, four Beta's one Alpha yet they looked ready to wet themselves. Was it to do with his magic? Glancing at Peter in annoyance, when he once again tried to pry his hand away from the wound.

Peter wasn't deterred by Harry's actions or reactions, he had to find out how bad it was. Then he had to get the wound cleaned, he knew humans weren't as durable. They got hurt way to easily, got infections and the like. His family hadn't all been werewolves after all.

"Keep it up and I'll lose more blood than necessary." He hissed quietly to the stubborn werewolf who kept trying to see the cuts. "I'm fine," he added seeing the worried look on his face. "Now tell me where Cora Hale is before I lose my patience."

"She heard that Beacon Hills had a Hale Alpha," was quickly explained, "She knows now that someone survived the fire, she just doesn't know who. We came this far with her, to protect her and try to get her to change her mind. The Argents…they're back in Beacon Hills its too dangerous but she wouldn't change her mind."

"That's interesting…" Harry said stepping towards them, "Just how has that information reached you so quickly? Omega's won't be interesting in spreading the word too far gone without aid, who told her?"

The Alpha swallowed thickly, stepping back, glancing wildly at Peter as if asking for his help. Peter however, just smirked watching Harry with a look of pure admiration and just a smidge of adoration.

"Look we keep each other informed," the Alpha stiffened his spine, "Especially when it comes to families like the Argents and the Calaveras and their movements. It's the only way we have to protect ourselves and our packs."

"Hmm, still, how anyone knows about the Hale Alpha is concerning," Harry continued relentlessly, continuing to walk as the Alpha stepped back, refusing to even contemplate touching the Alpha mate. "Nobody should know about any of them, unless…" he stopped, closing his eyes as he realized where the information had come from. "Shit, double fuck, of course, the fucking TV interview, now everyone will think Derek's the Alpha!" groaning in annoyance he leaned against the tree, in his bid to make sure Derek's name was cleared…he'd basically just put a fucking target on his back for any hunter…why hadn't he thought of that before?

"It doesn't matter, they'll still be coming when they learn that Kate Argent is dead," Peter stated, knowing without a doubt that this was true. "She was last known in Beacon Hills, there's a war coming." And he knew without a doubt who was going to be leading them.

Harry's eyes gleamed darkly, "And it will be their last," he vowed, "The age of the hunter is gone," and a fairer system would replace it.

"That's impossible!" the Alpha quickly denied its possibility.

"Did my heart stutter?" Harry threw back at the Alpha, "Trust me when I say this…the time for fearing the hunters will come to an end within the next decade. In place will be a werewolf tribunal."

"Which way did Cora go?" Derek demanded after a few tense seconds of deafening silence. The pack were stunned by the truthful declaration, Derek however, had heard it before, each time it gave him a little more hope that no other pack would suffer the same fate as his own. "Hey! Tell me, which way?"

"Use your senses, Derek, they said they followed her this far and let her go the rest of the way alone." Peter pointed out the obvious, "Let's go," they weren't going to get anything useful out of this pack, they were completely stunned by Harry's declaration.

The pack of three began moving, leaving behind the pack of five. 

Only once they were gone a few feet did the Beta who had been in the air the entire time come tumbling down. Falling with a thud, crying out at the feel of a few of his bones cracking, but they healed up pretty quickly. 

"You should really get that cleaned up," Peter told Harry, his tone cautious, not sure how he was feeling. His emotions had cut off just like they had when the pack practically told him he was an Alpha mate – potential or otherwise – he was calm, but he had yet to see Harry really lose his cool.

"I will once we get back," Harry explained, murmuring "Ferula," under his breath causing bandages to wrap around the wound on his upper arm.

"I can smell the infection beginning to set in." Peter admitted, the last time he'd smelt an infection it had very nearly killed Aaron the smell of death had clung around him terrifying them all. He'd been six years old, skinned his knee, they'd come so close to actually contemplating biting him for fear he wouldn't survive. In the end the antibiotics had begun to work and the smell of death began to fade just as Talia had relented and decided to give him the bite might be the only way for him to survive.

Harry felt the worry and fear through the pack bonds, the ones that had confused the hell out of him. Not because they were there, but because the strength in which he could feel them and the fact he could feel everyone. Not just Teddy which he had been able to sense from a young age. Not ever to the extent he could now.

Well he knew now, but that was for discussion later. Much later. He was beyond exhausted already.

"I don't get many human illnesses, well correct that statement…I can get a flu or cold or an infection but it won't bother me for more than a day at most. Our potions are extremely potent, and are strong enough to drive a flu away within twelve hours." Harry explained, "After a few potions this will be completely healed as though it never happened. The only exception being hit with dark magic,"

"That's…good to know," Peter replied, a half-condescending smirk on his face. It was true, he was pleased that his mate wasn't as…vulnerable as other humans. "Tell me…have you ever wanted the bite? To be faster…stronger?" not expecting the wizard to agree, he'd never actually bite him unless he had no other option. Those with magic…well, they didn't have a drop of it left once they were turned. It's primarily why the Emissaries – druids or mages – of the pack were human.

Harry laughed, a fully belly laugh, ignoring the wild life that avoided them like the plague. The forest was silent after that until they came upon more animals that fled to avoid them. "You know, I probably would have agreed to that if you'd asked before I turned eleven." He said sardonically. "Not that magic was able to protect me, instead I just used my godfathers wanted status to make them shit themselves from the age of thirteen."

"Wanted?" Peter asked, arousal coursing through him, causing Derek to wrinkle his nose. Only his Uncle would get turned on over something manipulative or murderous.

"Mmm, for the death of thirteen Muggles and a wizard," Harry replied, "He was innocent of course, but they didn't need to know that."

Peter's lips twitched until he was grinning uncontrollably, his eyes gleaming red in the night. Oh, he was definitely going to have his hands full when it came to Harry. He just knew it. His excitement grew until Derek opened his mouth of course.

"Was?" Derek murmured, catching what Peter had not fully gotten on to yet.

"When I said we were more alike than you can understand, I meant it," Harry said quietly, as they continued to move. "Although its open to interpretation…is it better to have loved and lost or never have loved at all?"

They continued their trek in the dark in complete silent after that both Hales silently contemplating the meaning behind Harry's words, not that it took a genius to realise what he meant.

Harry had lost his family young, too young to remember them. Or he hadn't been loved by his family at all, at least his parents and whoever raised him hadn't been kind at all. Especially if he felt the need to threaten them.

Peter growled subvocally, claws out eyes flashing between blue and supernaturally red as he thought of Harry as a young defenceless child. Treated badly just because he was different…had he shown signs of magic? Been abandoned for something out of his control?

Another thing he realized, all the pictures he'd seen in Harry's home…he was an adult in all of them. Unless he kept them hidden under lock and key, perhaps he'd been a short gangly thing and was embarrassed by any photos of himself? There were many reasons he'd thought of while glancing at the walls in idle curiosity.

He found himself increasingly curious about the wizard, all aspects of him. which was odd, he'd never had that sort of connection before. Never found himself with the desire to know every facet of someone. A strong desire that was almost consuming him, was this what Talia felt when she met Sebastian?

Someone who was your equal in all ways.

He was beginning to relish that thought.

Another smirk stretched out on his face, it was time to start making a move. His pack was complete, he'd soon have Cora back, a good strong pack, they were all durable, he would defend Beacon Hills from every threat conceivable. With a pack to back him up they were going to be unbeatable, especially with two magic wielders in their ranks.

Scott McCall was not needed or wanted. He could turn Omega if he wished, it was no skin of Peter's nose. Although if he was going to get himself killed, he hoped the idiot did it soon, the less people who knew he had an out of control 'Beta' turned 'Omega' the better in his opinion.

Once again, he wondered how the hell he could have been feral or insane enough to bite let alone turn someone as dense as McCall. His mother was smart, evidently the boy hadn't gained any of that smarts from his mother.

\------------0

There we go a chapter for you to enjoy! there's been a suggestion that I create a group on FB for my stories since my Yahoo group doesn't have all countries available to see them, Spain for one, as I've been told they can't get on it there and for people to talk about the stories etc... I've never thought of it before...I mean I'm not a real writer, I don't get paid for my work (Wish I did) but I don't so yeah...what do you guys think? would that interest anyone? R&R please


	27. Chapter 27

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 27 

The odd trio of two werewolves and a wizard had easily managed to find Cora Hale in the woods within two hours, where she had been sticking to, avoiding civilisation while she did so. She’d paused the second the two Hales got within scenting distance (the wind blowing towards her aiding in her scenting the territory which was unsurprisingly empty). Turned towards them, her face impassive as she gazed at both of them. No shock, no disbelief that they were in front of her. Which would have worked if they couldn’t sense just how shocked she actually was. 

The two usually scowling and emotionally constipated Hale men had almost stumbled, a look of pain etched on their faces as they said just one word, one word filled with reverence and awe, “Cora!” they could still scarcely believe she had survived the fire. Yes, they had an overwhelming urge to ask how she had, but they didn’t. Harry’s advice weighing heavily upon them, especially Derek. 

Cora flashed her Beta gold eyes at them, almost unconsciously, while Derek and Peter flashed their own blue and red eyes in response. 

It was almost like a Mexican standoff, that was until Cora launched herself at them. Both Hales thought they were about to be attacked, but instead Cora gripped them tightly, wrapping her arms around their necks. Holding them close, closing her eyes and just inhaling their scent breathing shakily. 

Six long years she’d been on her own, thinking her entire pack was gone. She had to fight with herself on whether to attack them for leaving her or what her wolf was dictating she do. Her wolf had missed them just as much as the human in her had. She had her pack back, her uncle and brother, answers could wait just a moment longer. 

It was inevitable though, they did need to discuss what happened that night. 

And why the hell they had left her on her own, she’d waited damn it, she’d done everything she had been taught from the moment she could understand what a hunter meant, what it was.

Harry blinked at the sight of all three Hales glancing behind him, the looks on their faces made him want to turn around and see what was causing it. Yet, he knew that whatever it was, wouldn’t be within his sight seeing distance, at least not yet. “Time to go?” Harry questioned them, the hair on his neck standing on edge, yes there was definitely something in the woods they didn’t want to encounter. 

“Yes,” it was Peter who replied and his tone was terse, just as his body was tense and alert and already half shifted just as Derek and Cora were in Beta shift. 

Harry didn’t wait around, trusting them for their word, and quite frankly if it was worrying the Hales then he didn’t want to see what would emerge on the other side. Not with how exhausted he was, he wouldn’t do any good to anyone. The last few weeks had been stressful to say the least added with the new information that had been thrust upon him tonight. 

He side-long apparated all three of them back home, grinning slightly at the discombobulated look the female was supporting. Hell, those looks were practically Hale patented, the constipated disgruntled look to ‘I’m going to rip your head off’ look. It was almost as of they were only capable of certain facial expressions. If any of them actually smiled genuinely, Harry reckoned he’d run in the opposite direction or cry. 

Or maybe both. 

“What the hell was that?” Cora demanded, once she regained her senses, she felt as though she’d left half her internal organs back where they had come from. 

“I’ll leave you to it,” Harry said gracefully, giving them privacy, or as much as he could at any rate. Stiles would be here soon anyway, trying to keep a teen with ADHD calm and centred so he could focus on his magic…well, nobody said it was going to be easy. Even with the calming draught actually successfully settling his mind and body it was still…overactive. If it had been that easy to deal with ADHD the Muggles would have been successful in finding a cure. He knew of Stiles penchant for taking more tablets than his daily allowance which led to Harry reprimanding him severely. Then he’d just wanted to go and kill Noah for his inability to watch his son. Unfortunately, that was nothing new, he saw more of Stiles than his own father. 

“You are pack, you don’t have to leave,” Peter stated calmly, and pack was family, he’d already lost enough to last him a lifetime. He wasn’t about to lose anyone else, he refused, he wouldn’t survive a second time of that he was absolutely certain. 

“We will be discussing that, but it can wait until later,” Harry stated, it wasn’t something they could avoid. 

Peter gave a single nod, still surprised by the lack of reaction, but if he had come to realize anything about Harry Potter in the short time he’d known him he didn’t tend to get overly emotional. He was a thinker, analytic, and strategic much like himself. 

“I’ll get us all something to eat,” Harry informed them, giving them some time alone, pack or not they did have to discuss a lot of things and he didn’t want them holding back on account of his presence. Or rather Cora holding back, she didn’t know him and probably didn’t trust him. With that he turned his back and left the room. 

“What the hell was that?” Cora asked from where she was forcefully wrapped in Derek’s hold, he hadn’t been able to let her go. Truthfully Cora didn’t want to let either of them go, and she couldn’t decide what she wanted to know more. Who the stranger was, how he could do what he did or why Derek and Peter had only chosen now to come to her and why it took so long. 

“His name is Harry Potter and he’s a wizard, his magic is very different from a Mage’s, more powerful,” Peter was the one to answer. He didn’t bother with mentioning a spark, since not many people read as much as he did, and probably had no clue as to what a Spark was let alone what they were capable of. He did feel a sense of smug satisfaction however, when he dwelt on the knowledge he had one in his pack. They all knew what a Mage was though, and they were substantially much more powerful than a measly druid. “What you just experienced is what they call Apparation, transporting themselves and others from one place to another. Welcome back to Beacon Hills,” he added sardonically. Wondering derisively if Cora would want anything to do with him when she learned he killed Laura – intentionally or not – or whether he would have to go through the same progress as he had with Derek to regain that trust as if he had been the one to do the wrong thing. 

“He’s British, how did you meet him?” Cora asked, utterly bewildered. 

“He’s lived here for many years, long before the fire,” Peter was the one to mention the dreaded fire first. 

Cora’s eyes flashed gold at the mention of it, her temper getting the better of her when she thought of it. “How did you both survive and why didn’t you come find me?” a growl underlay her words, showing how truly pissed off she was. 

Derek flinched, his normal brooding manner gone, as he stared at the floor, boring holes into it as if it could miraculously give him answers. Peter himself, grimaced, he didn’t like the reminder of the fact he’d been stuck in a Coma for six years. 

“It’s not something easily or simple to explain, since of the chief characters has passed,” Harry explained quietly to Cora, knowing neither men knew how to explain. The plates which had been floating behind him, settled on the table in front of them. “That day as I am sure you’re aware, your brother and sister went to school, why you didn’t I’m not sure. Either way, they were unaware of anything happening until they began to feel the pack bonds snapping one by one. Then Laura gained the alpha powers, just as they returned to scene of the crime…Peter was pulled out of the fire somehow miraculously alive.” 

Cora swallowed with difficulty, sitting down for the first time. 

“Alive being the relative term, he was so badly burnt by the fire that he was comatose.” Harry continued explaining, the room was enveloped in a grim silence. “He would have healed rather quickly…if not for the fact that he was abandoned by Laura who chose to take Derek and run from Beacon Hills.” 

“What? No! Laura wouldn’t do that!” Cora immediately went into denial, her sister wasn’t a coward, she knew how important pack was. She didn’t need to hear his heartbeat to know he was speaking the truth, she knew because she too had suffered from a second snapping of pack bonds tying her to a Hale Alpha. “I…thought everyone died, there was no pack bonds left.” 

“Yes, when you’re cut off from your own Alpha…even if they are family the pack bonds are basically non-existent.” Harry nodded, sympathy clear as day on his face. “As far as I am led to believe, Laura took Derek straight to New York where they tried to move on, I think she punished herself for what she did by never creating herself a pack.” Which still surprised him, how on earth had she survived six years with only one Beta? It went against everything he’d learned about werewolves, they were naturally pack creatures, they thrived in pack settings. 

Cora just stared in disbelief, she had always looked up to her big sister, who was able to fully shift, who would one day be her Alpha. Yes, she’d been annoying as hell, what big sister wasn’t sometimes? Cora had wanted to be just like her. To hear she had survived…cut her off and fled was a huge blow leaving her unable to articulate a word. 

“At some point I believe she…wanted to avenge her family, she began looking into the fire. Somehow the hunters found out, or were just waiting for it. Either way, the hunters set into motion the events that have just recent transpired. They intended to finish the Hale pack once and for all.” Harry explained, leaving a great deal of information out, that would be up to Derek to reveal should he wish to. “For the past six years your uncle had not only been an Omega but in agony as he healed as a lone wolf, even after all that time he was still healing internally over the damage done to him. It wasn’t helped by the fact he was being drugged with liquid Wolfsbane by a hunter who posed as a nurse. He was utterly feral when he encountered Laura who was lured back to Beacon Hills with the knowledge someone was getting revenge for the fire. I believe now she thought it was you, since for all intents and purposes your uncle was still in a coma.” 

Derek was startled to hear that, he hadn’t thought of it that way, and it may well be why Laura had come alone. She hadn’t wanted to deal with the potential fall out, not before smoothing things over as best as she was able with Cora before presumably convincing her to come back to New York with her. 

Peter closed his eyes, of course, it was why Laura had sounded so surprised just before he attacked her. The echo of ‘Uncle Peter’ buzzing in his ears. 

“Your Uncle gained the Alpha powers that night, which helped him a little, but he was still very much a feral Alpha now. He bit someone on the full moon without their consent, and begun the process of killing those who had been involved with the fire.” Harry continued on, “Kate Argent was the mastermind behind the fire, and she had returned to Beacon Hills and shot Derek with a rare type of Wolfsbane bullet. One that almost killed him, the wolfsbane was just inches from his heart.” 

Derek felt his stomach churning, excepting Harry to reveal he had been the reason behind the fires success. 

“Fortunately, he had the help of a teenager who knew who I was, and I ended up involved,” Harry explained, “The supernatural world isn’t new to me, although your kind definitely is, I helped Derek out and begun my own investigation into the Hale fire. The perpetrators are in prison and Kate Argent died.” 

Cora blinked, how could he know about the supernatural but new to werewolves? “How…how did you find out about me? Is that how they knew I wasn’t in the fire?” 

“You weren’t missing presumed dead, you were recorded as having died in the fire,” Harry explained softly, summoning a few potions, continuing to talk as he removed the bandages from his arm. “I don’t know whether it was just presumption or if someone altered the record to protect you…or if they made a mistake. The third is the most likely at the end of the day.” Many of bodies had been reduced to ash so hot the fire was. Harry was quite confident that those remains had been the human members of the Hale pack. 

“Then how?” Cora asked a confused scowl on her face. 

“Magic, I did blood tests on Peter when I began helping him, on those blood tests was a list of close family members…there was one more person alive on the list than I anticipated. In turn I used a specialised magic to track your location.” He explained without looking up, ripping his t-shirt only to press it to the wound which was still bleeding profusely without an obstruction. “Now what on earth did you sense out there?” he asked, changing the subject and making no secret of it. If Derek and Peter wanted to reveal more in private then that was fine by him. He was done for now, he just wanted to heal, help Stiles then get some much needed sleep. His and Peter’s conversation could wait until tomorrow. 

Just then his phone rang, cursing in annoyance, he wrestled it out from his pocket. It was Stiles, cleaning his hands of blood, he snapped his teeth in irritation when it stopped ringing just as he was about to answer. Using a few spells, he stopped the flow of blood and begun the process of healing the claw marks upon his red irritated flesh. 

Opening his phone, he called Stiles back, ignoring the werewolves watching the sight in front of them. Sure they were used to watching each other heal, but to them, Harry was human, he smelt human, sort of, so to see the agonisingly slow process of magic closing the wound was not unwelcomed but odd to say the least.

“…llo,” 

“Stiles? Where are you?” Harry asked, perplexed, the reception sucked wherever he was. 

“..ld on,” 

“Stiles?” Harry repeated his question becoming concerned. 

“I can’t come tonight,” Stiles explained in a rush, Harry heard automatic doors in the background, this indicated he most definitely wasn’t in his house. 

“What’s happened?” Harry narrowed his eyes on the phone, his tone demanding truth and honesty. 

“My dad was run over, the school, Chris Argent shot a mountain lion, but it makes no sense…it had a tag on it,” Stiles blurted out, “He’s fine, we’re at the hospital, but Allison is fine,” his tone was filled with anger and sarcasm. 

Harry sighed as he stared at the ceiling praying for patience. “Want to explain that or will we leave it at that?” knowing Stiles was going to verbally explode any second. 

He was correct of course. 

Harry received the entire story, in bits and pieces as Stiles went off on tangents, mostly about the mountain lion and how he suspected it had been brought to the area by the Argents. How everyone panicked, how Scott was more concerned about Allison than his dad who he knew for four years longer than her. How he would have helped him, but hadn’t. 

“That normal Argent behaviour?” Harry asked, glancing at Peter, knowing he would know better than even Derek. 

“If there’s one thing hunters and us have in common…is that the supernatural must remain hidden.” Peter admitted distastefully, the very thought of them having anything in common was offensive really. “They may have brought it there to close the cases, and to prevent any of the Sheriffs or Deputies looking into them further and finding out the truth.” 

“Has your dad been seen yet?” Harry asked, his tone becoming soothing. 

“Yeah,” Stiles’ tone was shaky, indicating he wasn’t as composed as he liked to appear. 

“I’ll come and pick you up,” Harry stated, he wasn’t in any shape to drive. 

“I’m not going home,” Stiles argued adamantly, “I’ll just come right back here.” Knowing that Harry would try and get him to go home. 

“Do you at least have some money?” Harry sighed in resignation, Stiles would do just as he said he would. 

“No, why?” in fact Stiles didn’t even know where his wallet was. 

“Fine, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes with a burger and fries so I know you’ve eaten at least,” Harry flexed his arms, grateful that the wounds had closed and the worst of the pain was beginning to fade. 

“Curly fries!” Stiles imputed as if Harry would forget, already sounding significantly calmed and happier. 

“One of these days I’m going to get you ordinary ones just to see your reaction,” Harry threatened him, his lips twitching. “I’ll see you soon,” closing off his phone, shaking his head, wondering just what the hell had happened tonight and how bad Noah was. 

“I’ll come with you,” Peter stood, already making his way out of the room, knowing they’d be using the car not Apparating, after all it was too populated for anything but. Giving Derek time to talk to his sister about their sister and presumably what happened when he was a teenager himself. He could smell the crippling determination and fear coming from him in droves. There was nothing else that could cause Derek so much pain it was easily deduced. That and he wouldn’t deny himself the opportunity to talk to Harry alone when the occasion rose. 

Peter unobtrusively kept an eye on Harry, his scent was back, he could smell him, and his emotions. For that he was utterly grateful, it made him feel as if his sense were…broken so to say when he couldn’t use them accurately. Still, the silence was daunting, he was used to being burdened down with millions of questions when it came to Harry, but the hesitance was new. He wasn’t one who was hesitant in anything he did, he wasn’t sure how to feel about his own reaction. This was his mate though, so it was all new territory really. His mate who was sitting stiffly as he drove them towards Beacon Hills hospital to feed Stiles. 

“You feel the urge to take care of Mister Stilinski, almost like a second father,” Peter observed, trying subtly to get information as always. To his surprise, Harry actually relaxed upon hearing that. “It is definitely not the pack bonds at work, you naturally want to take care of him and judging by the way he didn’t argue it’s something you do a lot. How does Sheriff Stilinski feel about that?” taking over his fatherly duties, it had to cause some sort of stifle. 

Harry snorted in amusement, “Not like a second father, a father figure, Noah…tries to be a decent father but fails on nearly all aspects. Stiles loves him though, and I don’t begrudge that even if it annoys me sometimes.” 

“Annoys you?” Peter queried genuinely curious. 

“Do you know how he became the Sheriff?” Harry asked, a bitter frown twisting his features. 

“Considering I was comatose at the time, no,” Peter said dryly, his sarcasm obvious. 

Harry’s lips twitched, “He became the sheriff a few months after the fire, a year after his wife’s death.” He stated pensively, “When he wasn’t working as a deputy he was drowning himself in dozens of bottles of whiskey. His ten year old son was looking after him. Cooking, washing, drying, cleaning the house all the while his grades were slipping due to his inability to focus.” Harry’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he thought about it. 

“I am surprised they would have allowed an alcoholic to become Sheriff let alone remain a deputy,” Peter mused, unless of course, the idiots didn’t realize but even the insipid humans surely noticed. 

“His work didn’t suffer, if anything in the year after his wife’s death he became more proficient, caught more bad guys than he had in his career.” Harry said wryly. 

“I sense a but,” Peter said, his mind trying to put the pieces together. 

“It wasn’t him,” Harry said derisively, “Stiles would read over the case files, put them together and leave post it notes for his father for when he sobered up.” 

“He could have only been but te…” Peter was stunned, he could scarcely believe it. 

“Ten years old? Yeah, he was, but Stiles has one of the most fascinating minds I’ve ever encountered. If his IQ was tested…it would be astonishingly high. He leaves even me and Teddy in the dust when he wants, Hermione, now I suspect both of them would get on. It is my belief that Stiles is even smarter than her too, Peter he put together that Scott was a werewolf for Merlin’s sake, and figured out how to help Scott control it with only known the supernatural a few weeks. I reckon if left to it, he would have figured out exactly who was killing everyone around Beacon Hills.” 

“Then it is perhaps a good thing he wasn’t left to it,” Peter said, his lips pursed, he had no doubt that Harry would have killed him if he’d done anything to Stiles. “I will give him one thing, he has courage in spades and loyalty that you don’t normally see in humans, especially when faced with the supernatural.” The night at the school flashing through his mind, the way the teen had the audacity to taunt him. 

The loyalty was more surprising especially given the fact he had learned Scott and Stiles were not childhood friends as he assumed due to their closeness and the interwind scents. They’d barely been friends for four years nearly five. That kind of loyalty, yes, it was astonishing and rare and Peter was amazed. 

Harry groaned, “I swear I could have strangled him for that,” knowing without a doubt what Peter was referring to. “In fact, it’s the first time I’ve been really pissed off enough to shout at him.” Stiles is too smart not to realize just how scared he had been for the teens reckless endangerment of his safety and how so very furious he’d been.

“He has more loyalty and guts in his little finger than most people have in their entire body that I’ve encountered,” Peter commented, which by the way was high praise for him. His own loyalty had to be fostered, he did not freely give it without due cause or reason. 

“I know,” Harry replied, too loyal sometimes, he was honestly unsure of whether Stiles would have ended up in Hufflepuff or Slytherin. He was equal parts a manipulative little shit as he was loyal to those he cared about. Then again Slytherins’ were loyal to their own, so perhaps there was no contest, maybe Stiles would have gone straight into Slytherin before the hat touched his head like Draco. Personally Harry thought it happened so the hat didn’t need to sit on his grease slicked forehead and listen to ‘Wait until I tell my father’ over and over again. 

“How did you two meet? From what I’ve observed you do not know anyone around Beacon Hills, you keep to yourself, not even the shop assistants know you overly much.” Peter pointed out, hell even they hadn’t known about Harry and it was their territory. They’d had no idea someone lived so close to them…let alone a different kind of werewolf. It may have be a good thing, Talia may have thought he was feral due to her ignorance…due to all their ignorance and if anything happened to Teddy…Peter knew Harry would go off in the deep end, Teddy was his anchor to his humanity. Everyone supernatural needed an anchor of some sort, it was always a private thing but easily deduced if you watched and learned. Peter suspected Laura had become Derek’s anchor, just as the family used to be his anchor, and he had been drifting – and not just as an omega – before things had been set right. 

“To reveal that would be to break Stiles confidence, of sorts,” Harry said slowly, driving up to the drive thru and ordering the food – only for Stiles – he would make something more filling than the greasy food the fast food joint had to offer. 

But Peter had always been good at putting the clues together, “When his mother died,” it was the only explanation really. 

“Yes,” Harry sighed softly, handing over the money which he had stashed in his glove compartment – of every car actually – for the food before driving to the next window to wait for the meal. “Stiles was alone with his mother when she died, his father was as always working, he was inconsolable…” 

“Naturally,” Peter replied quietly, anyone would be at losing a family member. Stiles hurt wasn’t any less than his despite the fact he lost nearly all his pack, his family. The loss was just…amplified a dozen times. 

“Thank you,” Harry said accepting the bag of food, jerking around to put it in the back seat before he drove off. Heading straight for the hospital this time, he sort of hoped Scott would be there, considering how Stiles sounded…maybe it wasn’t a good idea. However, Stiles needed someone, his father was all he had, and he needed someone to be his pillar right now. 

“Have you always known about his supernatural inclination?” Peter questioned, tapping his fingers absently against his chin. 

“Inclinations? You’re making it sound sordid,” Harry said shuddering a little, “And yes, I knew, and I also knew if he was ever introduced to the supernatural world it would…awaken so to speak. I worried that it would with Teddy, I kept a keen eye but it became apparent my worry was for nothing.” 

“Having magic yourself, how could you convince yourself to deny another the right to use their magic?” Peter asked, no judgement in his tone, just curiosity. 

Harry glanced away, “It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, I was gone quite often on missions and I knew I wouldn’t always be here. If I awoke Stiles spark…it would attract all manner of supernatural creatures to the area. With no guarantee that Stiles would be able to harness it, not with his ADHD.” Sadness and regret coursing through him. “Hunters would want to kill for having magic, while druids and other magical people would wish to use him for his spark or worse kill him for it.” 

“You would have let him remain ignorant of his potential?” Peter asked, pondering on whether he would have done the same thing especially if it had been a child. He cannot honestly say he would have, he was manipulative, it was in his character, he would have wanted to use the magic the boy had at his potential, especially to protect himself and his pack. He had never declared himself a good man, and he never would. 

Harry remained silent for a few seconds, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he drove, “No, no I couldn’t have done that to him. I would have informed him and gave him the opportunity when he was older, probably seventeen it’s when wizards and witches are considered adults in the supernatural world. Maybe eighteen when he turned into an adult here,” He explained absently, “Told him everything and let him decide on what he wanted to do with his life. I often worried that even just telling him would activate the spark.” 

“Does he know that you knew?” Peter asked, tone shrewd and calculating. 

Harry’s lips twitched, “Yes, I explained everything to him,” and Stiles didn’t even seem perturbed, perhaps due to the fact he could see just how dark the supernatural world was. That he wasn’t ready for it, and probably wouldn’t have been as a young child. Unfortunately, now he’d always be burdened by the fact if he had begun training Stiles…this…this whole thing might have been avoided. “Ah, good,” he murmured parking the car in a spot, ready to head into the hospital and put the conversation behind him. 

Of course, Harry didn’t know yet just how much weight that burden would hold, because Harry was unaware of just how much danger Stiles would constantly be in. 

And it most certainly wasn’t from other Magic users. Ironically enough. 

"And don't think I didn't notice the lack of answer on what you smelt or heard in the woods," Harry threw at Peter, causing him to blink in surprise, making it evident that he hadn't intended his lack of answer. He knew because Peter would have just smirked. 

\---------0

There we go! Gosh I suppose I should have Scott in the next chapter oh goodie! Well, him being sent to shovel dragon dung and complaining sounds like fun! I'll need to watch though since I think I'm getting my scenes a little mixed up and the days :P I really need to start inserting some Peter/Harry attraction soon! It just never seems to be the time! and of course the Stiles/Derek will come a little later...I think I had a vote on that and everyone was happy with the pairing :D I need to also decide on one for Big Bad :P Read and Review please!


	28. Chapter 28

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 28

It was unfortunate that Harry had to use his magic to get Scott to the Dragons Reserve. Otherwise he would have not done it, he didn’t feel comfortable revealing anything magical in nature to Scott. Yes, he knew of the supernatural world, naturally, he was a werewolf now. Yet he wouldn’t and couldn’t trust Scott with anything supernatural related. He was…simply put too enamoured with the Argent girl to care much for educating or bettering himself. His only saving grace was the fact the document he’d had Scott sign should prevent it, it was fool proof, as much as he could make it, but he worried sometimes that he would be able to get around it. Not on purpose of course, but rather by accident. The boy wasn’t exactly the smartest tool in the shed, that’s without hormones and his obsession with being normal and with an Argent to boot. 

Harry pocketed the portkey he’d used, watching Scott’s reaction with morbid pleasure. The look of horror on his face, Harry couldn’t help but wonder if he too had that same reaction the first time he encountered a fully-grown dragon. Fully grown of course, due to the fact he had met his first dragon at eleven, Hagrid’s Norbert – Now named Norberta – when she was a baby. 

“Wh…wha…what is this?” Scott spluttered staring at the dragons terrified to the core. 

“Dragons,” Harry explained, “This is a dragon sanctuary, they are situated all over the world,” 

“Harry! It’s good to see you,” a voice called from the distance as he unobtrusively added water to a large barrel for the dragons to drink from. They all knew Scott was coming, he had asked permission and of course, for them to refrain from using magic if at all possible. 

“Charlie! It’s good to see you too, come over let me introduce you!” Harry called out loud enough for Charlie to hear him. A large area had been cleared out of the dragons so Scott could clean it – by hand – as way of punishment and atonement for what he had done. The boy did not seem to care one way or another regarding what he had done, never showed any repentance or fear. Surely, knowing what he did he should be fighting tooth and nail to prevent it happening again? To gain control, to master his new abilities? He honestly didn’t understand Scott, and wondered if he was so deep in denial or if he had supressed what he had done. 

“Just a sec!” was called back, as another massive trough was filled with raw meat, that was undeniable to even Scott’s nose – which he smelt judging by the way his nose wrinkled unpleasantly – the Dragons lived on the raw meat, with some veg thrown in. They go through a lot of food, dragons were massive creatures and had appetites to go with it. 

“Why did you bring me here?” Scott asked, his voice still choked with fear, if he had been human he would have thought he was on the verge of an asthma attack. 

“Scott, calm down,” Harry said, gripping his shoulder, a slither of guilt crawling up his spine. “They can’t hurt you, they’re contained, they can’t fly right now, and you’ll be working over there,” he gestured towards the empty area where there were clearly no dragons whatsoever. “You’ll be cleaning out the empty stalls,” 

Scott nodded dumbly, his anxiety easing somewhat. 

“You must understand this is for your own good…a way to drive home what you did, to stop you doing it again. This is meant to teach you at the end of the day. To make sure you learn from your mistakes. So gain control over yourself, Scott, listen to what everyone around you is saying. You murdered a girl, parents are grieving for their lost daughter, all because you refused to listen, because you’re refusing to join a pack. You’re turning feral, and one day you’ll be at the point of no return and we will have to kill you if we cannot contain you. Prison will be a much worse sentence.” 

Charlie who had heard most of it remained silent, he knew a little bit of what was going on. Not everything, just enough to know the reason the boy was here. 

“Charlie, this is Scott McCall, Scott this is Charlie Weasley, an old friend of mine who is in charge of this sanctuary,” Harry introduced them after a few moments of silence, hoping that something he said would penetrate that bloody mind of his. 

“Nice to meet you, Kid,” Charlie said, shaking Scott’s hand, “Come on, let me show you what you’re to do,” gesturing for the kid to follow him. “We’ll catch up later,” he added to Harry, probably as soon as he was done showing Scott the ropes. 

“Yeah, definitely,” Harry said, nodding in agreement, it had been a few years since he had last seen Charlie. He’d never been as close to the elder Weasley’s as he had been with the younger all those years ago. He had visited him when he was made the head of the Sacramento American Sanctuary for Dragons. He had returned to Romania after the war, and worked his way into this position. It paid well, he was the boss and Charlie just loved being outdoors, this was all he ever wanted. It was nice to see him happy, the war had taken a devasting toll on everyone. Including the Weasley’s, who had lost one of their own. 

He watched the two from a distance as Scott began shovelling dragon dung into a large wheelbarrow, which would just be banished when he left. It would tire him out, make him less irritable and maybe, just maybe give him time to think through everything that had happened and what could happen if he wasn’t careful. 

The urge to cast an eavesdropping spell was strong, to hear what Charlie and Scott was talking about. He didn’t though, leaving them to it. He sat himself down on the stone bench, his eyes roaming around the dragons, wondering if Norberta had been transferred to this branch with Charlie who had a special bond with the poor thing. He had been the one to feed her, watch her grow into a fierce thing she was always going to be. 

The sound of a pop was his only warning that he had company. 

“There you are!” it was Hermione’s voice, “You’re getting more and more difficult to find.” 

“It’s a good thing I’m not on a mission,” Harry said wryly, giving her a smile in greeting. Waving his hand casting a ‘Muffliato’ so that Scott’s ears couldn’t pick up what they said. That’s if he knew how to focus on two things at once, he rather hoped he could. “How are you doing?” 

“You’d tell me if you were,” Hermione pointed out as she took a seat next to him, glancing around and quickly found Charlie and Scott. “I’ve been thinking about the job offer, about everything really, the prices, moving house, coming here, wand permits and the like.” 

“And what have you decided?” Harry asked, giving her a side long glance of curiosity. 

“I’m going to do it,” Hermione revealed, “I’ve already put in a wand permit and the President expedited it for me.” He must really have wanted her to join them to do that, and she felt honoured really, it wasn’t all that different from what she had been doing. She worked in the creature department, this though was a whole different level. Like a large scale difference, she was going to be responsible for all creatures within the United States of America. It was a massive responsibility, and she didn’t want to let anyone down, so she had done her due diligence and research. 

“There’s no one better,” Harry stated firmly, “They need someone fighting in their corner, Hermione…the things I’ve heard since this begun…it’s fucked up.” He knew this was going to be more difficult for Hermione than anyone realised. She would be leaving behind her child’s grave, which she visited very frequently. It was little wonder she had taken time to think it through. She was putting the good of a lot of strangers over things she wanted, and he probably shouldn’t have encouraged it. At least she would be able to travel there when she liked via portkey. 

Hermione’s eyes widened hearing those vulgar words from Harry, a testament to how truly bad it was. Then again, she had heard about it, and it was quite an accurate outlook. “I know, I’ve heard that…the hunters have a council, I’m already looking into having them infiltrated, or questioning them,” 

“Yes, it’s in France, Peter will know more if you wish to discuss it with him. He’ll be able to keep up with you, he’s extremely smart.” Harry informed her, rubbing his temples in contemplation. 

Hermione narrowed her eyes, “What’s going on?” she knew Harry’s tell tale signs of worries and fears. He didn’t have many, well, really just two. One he had the habit of rubbing his forehead or temple or his voice changed, both of what he had just done. 

“I’d say nothing, but you won’t leave it alone will you?” Harry asked resignedly. 

“You know me better than that,” Hermione stated sharply, after Ron died they had become closer, distance didn’t alter that. Sure they communicated primarily by letter, visiting every so often but the things they’d gone through…it created a bond that time and space could not change. 

“I have a mate,” Harry said, “I suppose it can be likened to a magical soul bond,” 

“Oh, oh, Harry that’s wonderful…isn’t it?” Hermione said awed, to find someone so utterly compatible that you bond with them was an amazing. It was something that most wizards and witches could just dream of in their wildest dreams. Wizards and witches normally never found that person, only those magically powerful seemed to acquire their bonded, their mate as most of the supernatural community referred to them as. Perhaps it was different for creatures, it’s something she’d need to investigate. 

She loved learning new things. Even after all these years out of Hogwarts she still found things to learn. 

“Or is it not?” Hermione asked after the silence expanded. “Which one is it? Peter or Derek?” she knew his preferences, magic wouldn’t set him up with a female. She would have automatically assumed Cora Hale since she had just appeared. Unless, that was why he was being so quiet…after everything he’d been through surely magic wouldn’t be so cruel as to give him a partner he’d never be happy with? 

“Peter,” Harry answered her, his brow furrowing. 

“And are you unhappy?” Hermione asked, her voice quiet, watching Harry closely. 

Harry sighed, rubbing his face in a tired fashion, “We haven’t spoken about it,” he revealed honestly. “But he’s nowhere near ready to have a relationship, Hermione. He’s been through hell and back, and despite getting better he’s just dying for revenge. Which I get, truly, how can I deny someone something I myself got?” 

“You didn’t do it for revenge,” Hermione pointed out, “None of it!” she added vehemently. 

“No, but I did want it, even before I understood what really happened,” Harry said, he’d vowed revenge on Sirius for his parents deaths while under the mistaken impression he was responsible. Then it had transferred to Pettigrew, growing still when the bastard brought back the madman who did the deeds to full power. “I felt nothing but sweet relief and happiness when they were gone, Hermione. Revenge might not have been my primary motivation…but I’m pretty sure the same applies to Peter. He wants to protect his pack, what’s left of his family.” 

“So what do you plan to do?” Hermione asked, “I hope you aren’t going to ignore the potential between the two of you!” a wicked thought entered her mind, now that Harry had a potential suitor she could get him back. After scaring or nearly scaring every single one of her boyfriends off…well, payback was deserved. Plus if she could scare Peter off then he most definitely didn’t deserve him. She doubted Peter could be scared off so easily, but it would be amusing to try. 

“No, no I don’t think that will happen,” Harry said, “The bond is already there, the potential realised, I am one half of the Alpha of the Hale pack, I can constantly feel how everyone is. Including Teddy and Jimmy.” 

Hermione’s jaw dropped, “You’re kidding!” she yelled out her shock. 

“No, Peter can feel them as well, I’ve never heard of the like, the two different lycan’s somehow connecting…but it’s never been tried before. At least none that anyone knows of anyway, I’d need to really dig into MACUSA’s archives to find out.” Harry said, quite reverently. 

“This might be something entirely new, who knows what affect this will have on those like Teddy and Jimmy! It might help them gain control over their wolf on the full moon…anything is possible…it’s amazing!” Hermione breathed in awe. 

“It is,” Harry said, “But the reality is, magic is really old, it’s hard to believe that the two lycan clans haven’t intercepted at one point or another.” 

“Is it really? If they’re caught out in the full moon everyone will assume he or she is feral, and they’d be dealt with…there’s no way a pack has existed, except before magic was hidden and maybe when both types were known worldwide.” Hermione revealed the truth of what probably would have happened, not that it was news to Harry she could see he wasn’t slightest bit perturbed, which meant he had thought it himself. Probably more than once. 

“It seems impossible that so much knowledge has been lost…but we know it happens,” Harry admitted, pensively. Some spells had been saved but the knowledge about them gone, like the Patronus charm. Nobody knew who had come up with such a wonderful inventive spell. It was so ancient, and that wasn’t the only spell, but it was most definitely the most powerful and renowned spell. “The archives would be the best bet,” and luckily them, they worked there and had the highest order of access, which meant they could view everything. Including the most exclusive and secretive archives MACUSA had collected since its inception. 

“It does,” Hermione agreed, “But this information must be written down, preserved for future generations,” 

“They will not be studied Hermione,” Harry retorted seriously, he refused to let that happen, it was his pack after all. 

“Of course not!” Hermione agreed vehemently, “No, but you could write it down, keep them anonymous if you like…it’s the information that’s important. Especially what happens to Teddy and Jimmy in such a pack…can you imagine if they can control themselves without the need of wolfsbane potion?” the new wolfsbane that had been created specifically for Teddy but was now used worldwide. It made sure that the werewolves didn’t suffer ill affects in the future. 

“Maybe,” Harry said thoughtfully, everyone would need to agree to it before he’d even contemplate the matter in question. 

“Merlin, Ron would have hated that,” Charlie said, a sad frown on his face as he spoke about his younger brother. “He was never one for furthering himself, I honestly don’t know how he managed to pass Auror training,” he shook his head, Ron had been the least ambitious of the family. 

The three became solemn, the loss of Ron had nearly destroyed everyone. It didn’t hurt quite so much anymore it just left an ache and deep sadness. A shared loss between them, more so for Hermione who had lost a child, her and Ron’s child. Charlie and Harry had lost a nephew, and make no mistake, Harry would have been a uncle to any child they had, and Molly and Arthur had lost a grandchild. 

“He wasn’t big on education,” Harry said with a sad smile. “He had a lot of ambition though, just not enough internal strength to see it through.” Remembering the mirror Erised and all the dreams Ron had. His most deepest desires put to words by a mirror of all things. At least he’d had desires that could be brought fourth, had been for a while. Between playing Quidditch and being an Auror he had accomplished some of his desires. That had been a big comfort to the Weasley’s when he told them that. 

Charlie’s gaze fell to the ground as he thought about that very statement Harry had made after they lost Ron. They shouldn’t have lost anyone else…the war was over but no, unfortunately they had been wrong. “Yeah,” 

“So, made the changes you wanted to?” Harry asked, after clearing his throat and unashamedly changing the subject. 

Charlie immediately perked up, “Yes, most of them anyway, takes time and donations but I’m getting there,” feeling smug and extremely satisfied. They get a lot of money to keep the sanctuary running, but unauthorised spending was frowned upon. Charlie had to ask permission to do anything with it, and provide receipts and proof. So any and all changes came primarily from those who donate proceedings to the sanctuaries and that they can spend however they pleased. “Speaking of donations…thank you,” Harry had given him a hefty donation a few months back and he’d used it gratefully.

“It’s fine,” Harry said with a small smile, he didn’t have much use for all the money, so if he can help people achieve their dreams and protect the animals better he’d do it. Teddy would have more money than he and his kids and grandkids could ever spend even if they did nothing with their lives and then some. He was never one for spending a lot of money and invested very heavily with hefty turnouts. “How’s the family?” 

“Dad has retired, spends a lot of time in that shed of his, mums constantly complaining she never sees him despite the fact he no longer works.” Charlie chuckled, his mum of course was exaggerating, but only a little. His dad could get lost in all the Muggle stuff he had in there. It was the only place he was allowed it, his mum had put it all there when the house got too full and cluttered by it all. With little kids, she wasn’t taking any chances with the ‘alien technology’ as it was often thought as. 

Harry grinned, “Still trying to figure out the function of a rubber duck?” he asked innocently. 

Charlie blinked, giving Harry an odd look, completely blanking. 

“He asked me the function of a rubber duck when I was twelve,” Harry said still chuckling in remembrance. “No offence to your dad but I thought he was bloody weird when he asked that. Then again, I was more familiar with the Muggle world…still am.” 

“Children play with rubber ducks when they have a bath, along with a variety of other toys,” Hermione explained, she’d bought one for her child, and Ron had just been as clueless. He didn’t understand the need for ducks or why anyone would want to play with it while they bathed. 

“Ah,” Charlie nodded conceding her point, and filing it away in case it ever came up – which he reckoned it never would – he wasn’t one for conversing with Muggles. They were too weird for him, just as they thought that he was the odd one. Hell, Scott was the first one in years he’d actually spoken to. “He’s hurting isn’t he?” watching the teen shovelling the dragon dung into the wheelbarrow, sweating profusely. Which was odd, wasn’t he using his strength? 

Harry glanced at the teen his gaze pensively, “I honestly don’t know, I think he just seems me as the bad guy. I told his mother about him, and I am the one forcing him into this…something he doesn’t want to do. I don’t think he even remembers attacking and killing the girl. It’s allowing a certain amount of denial, but in time he will remember, and that’s when he will need to be closely monitored.” 

“He doesn’t seem angry, at least not right now, he’s just sulking,” Charlie said thoughtfully, he had enough brothers to know that he was right. 

“I’ll bet,” Harry said wryly, “Keeping him busy is also preventing him from seeing his girlfriend, who is from a prominent hunter family that just loves killing werewolves.” 

Charlie winced, “Shit,” if he wasn’t careful he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone other than the girl herself or her family. “How the hell is that working out?” 

“I have no clue,” Harry said shaking his head, “I can only hope she doesn’t turn out to be like her Aunt Kate, at least in the mental department…” 

“Merlin, this is crazy,” Charlie said, his hands in his pockets as he thought about it. 

“I’ll be starting with the Argents…” Hermione said, her tone and face grim, “It’s not going to be easy but I’ll make sure the hunting stops,” even if it was the last thing she did. 

“With that family and those other prominent families…it isn’t going to be easy, it’s all they know, it’s basically an inheritance at this point.” Harry replied, “Again, talk to Peter, he was…the left hand in the pack, he knows everything there is to know about Hunters, the families and the locations.” 

“The Left hand?” Charlie asked, looking squeamish. The left hand was someone to be terrified off, an assassin of sorts, they say that Fenrir Greyback was You-Know-Who’s left hand. Lucius Malfoy was his right hand, dealing with anything involving the Ministry of magic primary bribing and blackmail. 

“It’s not like Voldemort or the mob Charlie, he was just responsible for the safety of the pack, to get rid of any threats to them before they became a real problem.” Harry explained, “Nobody innocent is ever hurt…although innocent is a relative term.” He knew he was being disingenuous here, Peter had harmed an innocent…then, Scott had been one, he’d almost hurt Stiles but he had been feral at the time. 

Charlie relaxed a little, “So it’s like your job then,” slotting it into place as the ‘good guys’ not that he assumed Harry would allow anything bad to happen to anyone who didn’t deserve it. 

“Yes, you could say that,” Harry nods, he did take care of threats to the magical world, the worst of the worst of humanity. He tracked them all over the world and killed them, making sure the scenes were set up to look like something other than what it was – a magical attack – so that nobody would look too closely. Not even any other magical society.

“Is he even close to accepting his wolf side?” Hermione asked, “It doesn’t look like he’s even attempting to use his strength to help him.” he was sweating buckets, looking exhausted and only one hour – she was guessing here – had passed. 

“He has some control but no, no acceptance yet, I am hoping that bringing him to MACUSA and letting him see exactly what has happened to feral wolves in the past will help him get over his reluctance.” Harry explained, “I’ve tried talking to him but he’s not interested in conversing with me. Today was actually the closest we’ve come to actually talking.” 

“He’ll come around,” Hermione said, “They always do, we were all teenagers once…and all of us have or had trust issues.” 

“Isn’t his friend helping?” Charlie asked, “He isn’t going through this alone is he?” 

“No, he has a friend, a best friend who has stuck with him despite the fact Scott has attacked him a few times.” Harry said honestly, “It’s Teddy’s friend, you’ll have heard of him, Stiles,” Teddy liked Charlie the most out of all the Weasley’s with his ‘extremely awesomely cool’ job. 

“Oh, yes, I think I’ve heard of him…I’ve always meant to ask…what sort of name is Stiles?” Charlie asked. 

Harry stared at him surprised, “It’s a nickname, and seriously…you ask that? Knowing some of the names in the magical world?” 

Charlie shrugged, completely indifferent to the so called ‘weird names’ since they were completely normal to him. 

“You’ve never said his first name,” Hermione pointed out in curiosity, how bad was his name that he used ‘Stiles’ as one. 

“You’ll need to ask him,” Harry said wryly, smirking in amusement, “He absolutely hates when I use it.” he’d still been going by his birth name at the time. It was only later, perhaps six months to a year after she passed that he began going by Stiles full time. It was always entertaining to hear his voice strain when he used it. 

Hermione found herself increasingly curious, “Have the calming draughts helped Stiles focus and ability to concentrate?” 

Charlie glanced between them his own inquisitiveness rising, wondering what they were talking about. 

Harry huffed out a laugh, “He was able to control my own magic greater than his own, it’s like it’s just out of reach…that tangible thing that’s preventing his control. Perhaps a focus stone would be better and easier for him to master it?” 

“Through the bond?” Hermione’s voice was strained with incredulity. 

“Got it one,” Harry said wryly, “Quite frankly the quicker he gets control over his own magic the better.” 

“Why not get him a wand?” Charlie asked confused to the max. 

“He’s not a wizard, he’s a high mage,” Harry explained, knowing at least Charlie would understand that statement. It might not be accurate, but it was as close to a Spark as you could get. 

“Whoa!” Charlie said, eyes wide in shock. 

“What if…what if it requires something…more drastic?” Hermione said slowly. 

“Such as?” Harry questioned. 

“A life or death situation?” Hermione said quietly, not wishing to alarm Harry. 

“He’s already been in one of those,” Harry pointed out, scratching the back of his head. “Several over the past few months.” 

“But was he actually in danger? Like imminent tangible danger where his life was seconds from being drained from him?” Hermione asked. 

“No, not really,” Harry conceded, he had come close but nothing so imminently life threatening. Scott had come closer than Peter had if he was honest. 

“Was it the incident with his friend? That wouldn’t have been the same thing, I mean he wouldn’t have wanted to hurt his best friend, it may also have something to do with the fact he didn’t know he had magic,” Hermione said, “I’ve been looking into it, but I haven’t found much about the awakening of a spark except of course the implication that associating with supernatural creatures can bring it out.” As always, Hermione was a curious soul and had to understand everything. 

“Me too,” Harry sighed, leaning back, “I’m just having no luck, it can’t hurt to use a focus stone though,” 

“Here, give him this,” Charlie said, removing a pendant from around his neck. It was a dragon tooth with a piece of jewel drilled into the middle of it. “It’s tigers eye, it should be helpful, if not try another stone, it’s easy to insert.” 

“Stiles is going to love this,” Harry said accepting the piece, a real dragons tooth, damn right he would. 

“I have plenty of them,” Charlie explained, he wouldn’t miss it. 

“Thanks Charlie,” Harry said with gratitude, the Weasley’s all had some manner of items from Charlie dragon wise, he sent them all the time. He’d never seen any of them wearing any – except Bill – of it though, but Molly would have annoyed the hell out of anyone wearing it. Only Bill had the guts to do whatever he wished actually, none of the nagging his mother did ever paid off. 

“What are you two looking for anyway? I have a worker, Leonard who is quite the historian, he has thousands of books, he’s hardly without one.” Charlie said, as always happy to help, especially Harry. 

“Books about magical sparks, and not the plug kind, actual sparks, they’re known more in the supernatural world rather than the wizarding one.” Harry explained, “Any books on supernatural’s would be welcomed as a matter of fact.” He didn’t hold out much hope, since all his contacts had ran dry and he had them all over the world. 

“I’ll ask him when he comes in for his shift,” Charlie nodded his agreement, storing the information away. 

“Thanks,” Harry said, grateful that he’d help even if it didn’t bear any fruit. 

“How much longer are you going to work him? He looks ready to collapse,” Charlie said without looking at Scott. 

“He’s going to keep coming here until he actually begins to use his damn werewolf strength,” Harry stated determinedly, “I’m glad you’re taking the time to help out, man, I was quite honestly struggling with stipulations to his remaining free.” He couldn’t keep it from MACUSA, he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if Scott hurt or worse killed someone else. 

“I don’t mind,” Charlie shrugged, sure it added to the time it took to get everything done but if it helped a teenager in need of correction he’d do it. Some teenagers had to learn from their mistakes, and obviously Scott was one of those boys. 

“You need to set me up a meeting with Peter,” Hermione said after the conversation lulled into silence. 

“He’s not busy, he’s still at my home, you can talk to him whenever you like, he won’t bite,” Harry said with a chuckle, “At least I don’t think so.” Sniggering at his own joke. 

“Hilarious,” Hermione commented dryly, trying to play it unamused but Harry was happy, it had been such a long time since he’d felt that way, especially when it wasn’t something associated with Teddy, his son. Who he loved and spoke about with reverence. It didn’t take much to make her lips twitch, quite relishing in the smile. 

Hmm, perhaps she should have that talk with Peter sooner rather than later. 

She didn’t want to see her best friend hurting. 

\---------0  
Would you like the next chapter to focus on Stiles and Harry? Would you like to see Peter and Derek's view of Stiles and Harry's relationship? I think a little time jump is necessary, will Stiles have perfected his magic by the time the elder Argent gets to Beacon Hills? Or will it be his actions that lead to Stiles unleashing it? Will Harry tell the sheriff or will Noah remain the dark until he did in the show? When exactly did they realize the Alpha pack was coming? There's been a lot of speculation that Derek KNEW long before that sign showed up in the show hence he changed the others...speaking of which do you want to see them changed? Read and Review Please!


	29. Chapter 29

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 29 

“Has Hermione been in touch with you yet?” Harry asked as he wandered into the kitchen. Barely blinking at the sight of Peter cooking, it was a common occurrence as of late, Derek couldn’t cook much, but what he did make was tasty but given that he was a werewolf it would have to be with their taste buds. He still made meals at the weekend to last all week, putting them in the freezer, but more than half didn’t even get used the ‘week’ they were made for. He noticed that there was a large bag containing food that had evidently just been bought, say what he liked, the Hales didn’t use him for food, except the meat, they never bought meat. He couldn’t blame them, his was not only locally sourced from where he bought it, but also never touched with any chemicals and it was fresh and also some of it was magical meat from magical animals. 

“Why would she be getting in touch with me?” Peter enquired, cautiously, as he continued to chop up freshly bought ingredients that went well with the meal he was planning. The meat was already marinating, as it had been for hours, it worked best overnight, but this would do just as well. He could see how hard Harry was working and wished to do something to repay him for all that aid. Especially considering the majority of his time was being devoted to Scott McCall a boy he had bitten. 

Harry sighed softly as he sat down, not that he had long, Stiles would be here soon. “Hermione accepted the job at MACUSA, she has many questions about hunter families and of course…the council. It’s her job to tear it all down, bring in new workers that will oversee the supernatural that have thus far remained under the radar due to the previous agreement.” They would most certainly not be called hunters, that name would leave a bad taste in anyone magical’s mouth. No, they would refuse to take on the job out of spite and pride of they were told they’d be called ‘hunters’ no, they’d be something else. He was sure Hermione would come up with an appropriate name. 

“How exactly are they planning on keeping them ‘on the radar?’,” Peter queried, he still wasn’t sure what to think of this Hermione, he’d know once he met her properly and had a suitable conversation with her.

“Do you remember the map you saw in MACUSA? In the entrance hall, of sorts,” Harry said, picking at the food Peter had just prepared, crunching on the carrot, he was absolutely starving. 

“Indeed,” Peter replied, giving a nod, his focus temporarily on Harry as he waited for an answer. 

“That shows any magical displays, especially ones that put MACUSA and magic in danger of discovery, it can declare a state of emergency,” Harry explained, grabbing an apple from the basket and absently cutting it with a clean knife. “It’s only ever happened a few times since it went functional. Other supernatural’s will be getting their own board, I’m not sure myself how it will work, but it most definitely will do the trick,” those in the think tanks in MACUSA were the best, absolutely brilliant and most people didn’t even give them a second glance. 

Snacking through the apple slices, his thoughts returning to the conversation he and Hermione just had. Was there ever a good time to have such a conversation? Did it matter? Neither he or Peter were just going to jump into a relationship anyway. Peter wasn’t ready and Harry actually wanted it to work, so taking to slow would be the best way to go about it. If it was even something Peter wanted at the end of the day. Normally his ‘relationships’ were one night stands, he never saw them again afterwards. Which he’d been content with, especially after the first dozen or so prospective partners didn’t want ‘kids’ or to deal with one that wasn’t their own or even his ‘partners’ as if it made Teddy any less important to him just because he wasn’t immediate blood. They were blood related through the Black’s though. After that he tried to stop finding someone and only ‘scratched an itch’ every now and again, making it clear he wasn’t looking for anything. Now… well he wasn’t sure how the heck to make a relationship work, he was used to being on his own now. 

“That’s Stiles truck coming,” Peter murmured just seconds before the wards alerted him to Stiles presence coming up the driveway. 

“Lovely,” Harry said, nabbing the last piece before wandering out of the kitchen, Cora and Derek were nowhere to be seen, or felt actually. He hoped they were alright, the urge to use a charm and find out where they were was strong but he refrained. He wasn’t going to invade their privacy every day just because he was worried about them needlessly. At least he hoped it was needlessly, but this place seemed to attract all the crazy ass hunters so perhaps not. Just because they had Kate Argent it didn’t make the Hales any safer than before. 

He opened the door and wandered into the library where their ‘lessons’ took place, hopefully with the gift from Charlie he might have more success. He honestly didn’t understand Stiles magic, it was different from all he knew and the books he had weren’t exactly forthcoming with how to harness the magic. He prayed that Charlie’s guy would come through, or any of his contacts really with more information. 

“Hey, Harry!” Stiles said, entering the library positively vibrating with excitement, despite all the failures so far Stiles seemed determined to get it one way or another. Lesser people would have given up already, it was a testament to Stiles inner strength that he hadn’t just thrown in the towel. Although it might have something to do with his desire to do what he could. 

“How’s your dad?” Harry asked, as he removed the dragon tooth from his pocket. 

“He’s fine, he’s back home,” Stiles said, relief still evident, he could have lost his dad that night and it terrified him. “He’s going back to work tomorrow though,” he added with a scowl, showing he wasn’t happy with his father’s decision but he couldn’t talk him out of it anymore than Noah could talk Stiles out of something when their minds were put to it. Both of them were actually very stubborn people, Noah more so he’d say. 

“Not surprised,” Harry said wryly, and he truly wasn’t, “This is a pendant I want you to wear, whether just for the duration of the lessons or full time, it’s entirely up to you,” he added as he handed it over. 

“Whoa!” Stiles said, “This is awesome!” curling his hand around the large tooth, the tooth had been drilled and a stone inserted into it. “Is this from a tiger or a lion or something?” it was massive, he didn’t something like this could even come from a tiger or lion like he’d asked. 

“It’s from a Dragon,” Harry explained, “I got it from a friend of mine who has many of them, the stone should help with focus, and a little luck help you harness your magic,” 

“Do you ever think I’ll be able to use my magic like you can use yours?” Stiles asked, showing his first sign of doubt, as it weighed heavily upon his tone. He had no doubt it was from a dragon despite not seeing one. Scott had been talking to him via Skype for over an hour earlier talking about his latest ‘tasks’ and the dragons he’d seen.

“You won’t be using your magic like mine, they’re at their core very different,” Harry explained as he took a seat, “What you felt with mine isn’t what you’ll feel with your own. I suspect due to the fact you’re called a spark it will be like electricity or a glow like a fire. It will be subtle until you really get a hang of it. The more often you use your magic, the stronger it will become, until you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.” His was cool, almost cold, mildly lukewarm back when he was younger before he took all three Hallows. His magic changed after that, but nothing too noticeable, just made him a little more powerful. With the Elder wand on his person…it was hardly surprising he was more powerful really. He kept the stone and he would never get rid of the invisibility cloak, not on anyone’s life. “Understand this, Stiles, I’m guessing here, it’s pure guesswork, I might be completely wrong, but you’ll know the moment you connect with your magic. It’s a transcendent feeling.” 

“What was it like for you?” Stiles asked, taking a seat, an intense curiosity.

“It was…being enveloped in light, warmth, safety, contentment, happiness,” Harry stated, “Like I imagine what a mothers hug would feel like,” 

Stiles sobered hearing that, yes, he’d lost his mom early, and it still hurt to this day, but he still had her for ten years before she passed. Harry rarely spoke about his parents, and when he’d made the mistake of asking where they were…he’d received a quick and ugly version of it. They’d been murdered when he was a baby and he’d witnessed it. He suspected Harry had been that way to stop him asking more questions. It had worked, a little too well, Stiles had never brought it up again. 

“On that note, it’s considered impolite to ask that question,” Harry commented idly, “Just for future reference, so you don’t end up pissing any wizards or worse…witches off,” 

Stiles opened his mouth to ask why, before shaking his head, deciding against it. 

“It’s considered somewhat private, maybe once you’ve connected properly you’ll understand and want to guard that feeling too.” Harry informed him, knowing what Stiles was thinking without needing to read his mind. “Put the pendant on and let’s see if we can give it try shall we?” 

Stiles tied the black cord around his neck, fiddling with it grinning widely, unable to believe he was wearing a damn dragon tooth! “I love the supernatural!” he declared, and it was the complete truth, he felt…whole, it was as if he had been waiting his entire life for this moment. 

The truth of it was, Stiles had been waiting his entire life for this moment. 

Harry let out a bark of amusement, smirking wryly, it had taken him three whole years of magic to utter those words…he wondered idly if Stiles would come to regret those words of if he like him would love the good and the bad and deal with it. Ah, to be young again, Harry thought, vividly reminded of his own proclamation. His had been ‘I love magic’ though, not the supernatural, but same difference. “Drink the tea,” he added, waiting patiently, Stiles knew there was a calming draught in it, to ease his racing mind, it was probably better for him than the Muggle drugs he was on. Unfortunately, like all things, they became addictive, and could lead to harm, so giving Stiles calming draughts constantly wasn’t a good idea…although long term… again probably better than the Muggle drugs he takes. 

Stiles reached over for the mug, which was only half full, and only had lukewarm tea in it giving him the ability to drink it right away without waiting. “That’s the stuff,” he muttered, already relaxing fully against the sofa, he crossed his legs together, and breathed easily. Well aware and familiar with the routine by now that he no longer required Harry’s constant coaching. 

Just then his phone began ringing, cursing he quickly jerked it out of his pocket and glanced at the number, arching an eyebrow, it was Charlie, he’d programmed one for him, since the worked out in the reserves. He’d never called him though, nor had he ever been able to get the wizard, the phone was constantly switched off. Charlie didn’t know how to use it and wasn’t interested either. Glancing up, pleased that the sudden interruption hadn’t disturbed Stiles, he quietly got up and moved out of the library and into the hallway. 

“Hey Charlie,” Harry said, “What’s up?” only to jerk the phone away from his ear and wince. 

“HARRY! LEONARD HAS WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR!” 

“Charlie, talk normally as if we’re face to face,” Harry commanded, “Not as though we’re a bloody Quidditch pitch apart!” 

“EH…sorry,” Charlie said apologetically, “Not sure how these things worked, luckily Leonard does, he’s here if you want to speak to him.” still speaking louder than necessary. 

“As long as he doesn’t shriek in my ear,” Harry said drolly, he was sure even Peter winced at the loudness. He grinned wickedly reminded of when Ron called the Dursley’s, roaring down the phone at his Uncle Vernon. Merlin, the guy had gone puce, then red in the face as he bellowed back. That had been hilarious, it was what…the summer after his first year at Hogwarts he thought, those memories of the Dursley’s hellish years all blended in. 

“Putting him on now!” Charlie said, speaking even quieter. 

“Hello?” came the smooth calm voice of who Harry assumed was Leonard. 

“Hello, Leonard, I’ve been told you might have books that I’m interested in,” Harry said, “Do you buy and sell or just an avid collector?” wanting to know what he was getting into. Whether he’d be buying the books or if he’d need to ask to borrow them or pay for a copy which was by the way, practically worthless. 

“Both, for the right price,” Leonard explained. 

Harry nodded conceding that was how most people were, “And would you be willing to sell the original books that I require?” he said original because sneaks try to get away with giving you copies, as if he was dumb enough to fall for that. 

“When do you get off your next shift?” Harry asked, he would pay whatever it took in order to teach Stiles how to use his magic properly, safely and without reservation. Which he had right now, since he was guessing, he didn’t like that at all, but what could he do? Leave him to try it himself? Merlin knows where that would lead. Especially since being a spark was a very powerful being, and he’d need direction. 

“I will be done in nine hours, I do require some sleep afterwards,” Leonard explained, without being obnoxious. “Shall we meet up around two o’clock tomorrow afternoon?” that would allow him at least some sleep before he has to look out the books Harry Potter clearly required. 

“That’s actually perfect,” Harry said agreeably, it gave him enough time before he had to take Scott to MACUSA he was hoping to rope in a few of the Aurors to help get through to the kid. “I’ll meet you at the reserve then?” he wasn’t about to invite a stranger near his home, let alone let him in through the wards. He didn’t care that Charlie knew him, his safety and Teddy’s when he was here was his utmost priority. 

“That is doable,” Leonard, “I’ll pass you back to Charlie now,” with that Leonard was done. 

“Did the focus stone work?” Charlie asked, a quiet murmured thank you and see you later was heard through the connection, not aimed at him so it had to be Leonard. 

“We’ve just begun,” Harry replied, “I’ll let you know tomorrow…hopefully though we’ll know what to do then anyway,” he probably should have asked more questions about the potential books but he’d find all that information tomorrow. The guy had to work for a living and Harry wasn’t going to interrupt him. Not everyone had money coming out of every orifice like he did, his family had worked hard for their money, and he in turn worked hard for his. He’d just been lucky not to be called in yet, which was unusual. He felt hopeful again, so he hoped he wasn’t about to be let down with the same sparse information the other books all provided. What he needed was a book about sparks themselves, and everything about them. The downside…not all sparks actually become active, so they remain dormant unaware of their untapped potential. Stiles wasn’t one of those, so he needed all the help he could get. 

“Alright, I’m going to head home, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Charlie murmured, sudden tiredness coating his voice. 

“Will do, take care, Charlie,” Harry commented before hanging up. Letting out a breath of relief, well, tomorrow afternoon he would find out whether this Leonard had what he was looking for or not. 

“Why did he act like he’d never used a phone before?” Peter enquired, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen in extreme curiosity. 

Harry jumped a little, bloody werewolves, “Bloody hell, don’t do that!” it was the first time he’d manage to genuinely startle him. “He’s a pureblood,” he waved the curiosity off. 

Peter arched an eyebrow a little sound leaving his voice. 

“Unlike you guys hiding your supernatural abilities in the Mundane world, pureblood’s don’t want to.” Harry shrugged indifferently, “They live within their own community, and in those communities technology does not work. Even something like a CD player with batteries doesn’t work with all the wards and magic interfering with it…I think you’d only hear static I’ve never actually tried to be honest. You could liken them to Amish people, they don’t have electricity and things like that. So until I gave him the one he has two years ago, Charlie had never seen a cell phone let alone owned one. The rest of the magical world’s population is spread out across Britain, not technophobes like the rest of the wizarding population.” Charlie lived in another wizarding community, here in America, he just wasn’t comfortable living amongst Mundane people, after living his entire life separate from them. 

Behind them Stiles made an aghast sound, the prospect of not being around technology clearly horrified the teenager. 

Harry smirked, “Later,” he said, giving Peter a head tilt before re-entering the library. “I assume you heard everything?” 

“Yeah, someone you know is selling books, you’re hoping they’ve got information you want,” Stiles replied, not even the slightest bit embarrassed at his eavesdropping. 

“We want and need,” Harry corrected him wryly, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, wondering if he could ignite the spark…dare he risk it though? Would he be able to do it? could he guide Stiles into harnessing his own magic…even just getting to feel it, become accustomed to it, he’d have an easier time getting to it. “Come and sit on the floor, I want to try something…” flicking his hand and two pillows floated down, as he gracefully took his own pillow, his back sighing in relief at the weight taken off it. 

“What?” Stiles asked, trustingly sitting down, facing Harry with wide curious amber eyes. 

“We’re going to reverse what you did to me, but I won’t be doing it through the bond, my magic will be going into your body through my hands, a direct conduit.” Harry explained, sensing someone – presumably Peter – coming in, unless the others had returned. Nobody spoke, so he continued his conversation with Stiles. “Now it will feel uncomfortable, like pins and needles all over, bear with it, feel it, I’m going to mentally guide you towards the source of your own power.” 

“Alright,” Stiles said agreeably, waiting patiently – for once – on Harry continuing, the calming draughts were easily the best part of these lessons. His mind was never calm, but this ability to think on one subject for more than a few minutes was liberating really. To sit still for half an hour was quite frankly a miracle for him. 

“Give me your hands,” Harry said, holding his out, letting Stiles take the lead on this. “If it gets too much just yank your hands away, it will cut the connection between us, okay?” 

“Right,” Stiles replied in agreement, placing his hands on top of Harry’s, and waited. Not that he had to wait long before he felt the sensation of magic creeping through his fingers, into his hands, palms, up his arms and into his body. It was the most disconcerting feeling he’d ever experienced. It was even weirder than the time he’d actually grabbed a hold of Harry’s magic as his own and that was saying something since that had sort of burned ice cold. 

Peter observed the pair of them from where he had sat himself down in the corner of the room. They had an ease about them that spoke of long term attachment. Usually when one lost someone, the last thing they’d do was find new attachments in his experience. They usually withdrew, became sullen, angry and deeply depressed depending on the person. Derek certainly had gone down that route and then some. 

Yet, Stiles had formed a parental connection to Harry after his mothers passing, he had been ten years old, not yet a teenager, perhaps that made all the difference. It probably didn’t help that the Sheriff wasn’t around much, from what Harry said, he’d basically abandoned his son to drink himself into oblivion. He should thank Harry really, otherwise Stiles could have been taken by the state, put into the foster system. If such a thing had happened…Peter idly wondered what would have happened the night he bit Scott. Obviously he wouldn’t have bitten the teen, he shuddered anew at the thought of what he would have been like. His thoughts after the fire were one of pain, anger and anguish, it had imprinted onto his psyche, and the madness was born, and it would have continued until he was either killed or done enough damage to reveal the supernatural world on a whole. 

Before the fire he hadn’t cared much about having children, not that he hated children, he had watched Laura, Derek and Cora toddle on their first full moon shifted. Changed their diapers, soothed their hurts – as temporarily as they were for the werewolf’s – worried when their cousins got sick, he was very much a big part of their lives. He’d saw no need to have children, he was young, so of course, he hadn’t thought much on that. It was so strange seeing Cora all grown up, the last time he’d seen her – in his memory – she had been a ten year old little girl who loved following everyone around except her mother. Fiercely independent, sarcastic, he was glad she had kept all that, but she could also be very sweet and caring. If he didn’t have children…there was a chance that this branch of the Hale family could disappear. 

He couldn’t see Derek ending up with anyone, he was too closed off, emotionally constipated and blaming himself – even after six long years – for something that wasn’t really his fault. No matter what he or anyone else said, Derek was going to blame himself. Sure, he had been deceived, but it wasn’t as though he had struck the match that lit them on fire or given away any family secrets. Derek couldn’t lie, so he knew this to be the truth. Perhaps Cora had someone in her old pack she was interested in, but short of keeping her last name…well, it was rather a worrying prospect. 

Go figure his mate would be a man, especially in the light of all this, although if it had been the other way around…Peter wouldn’t have been all that interested in him to be fair. He’d slept with women, but there was no denying he preferred his own gender. Towards the end, his dalliances were mostly men. It was easy enough to employ a surrogate, especially when one had money, it would require some searching for one who was familiar with the supernatural world. It wasn’t easy giving birth to a werewolf child, especially for a fully human woman. 

“Do you feel that, Stiles?” Harry asked, his voice pensive and calm. 

“What the fuck!” Stiles rasped out, shuddering violently, his hands twitching as if he was toying with the idea of removing them. 

“Do you feel it?” Harry repeated his question, remaining calm his voice taking on a hardened edge to it, trying to keep Stiles himself calm. 

“Yes,” Stiles replied, the ‘duh’ was practically present despite the fact he didn’t actually say it. 

“Good,” Harry murmured soothingly, “Now what I want you to do is the same thing you did before, draw on the magic, not mine, your own, do you feel that sizzle? That’s your own magic, take control of it, accept it as yours to do as you please,” 

Peter sat up straighter, eyes wider than normal as he watched Harry glow with light until he could barely see him. Stiles on the other hand was crackling with blue, almost like electricity, even his eyelids, and if he opened them, Peter would bet his fortune that they were white. “You’re both completely immersed in magic, its quite…overwhelming,” his senses were going in overdrive, Harry’s was overpowering compared to Stiles. Yet Harry had said he would grow in his powers. 

“Do you have control, Stiles?” Harry commanded the room, his voice stern but at the same time calming. 

“I don’t know!” Stiles uttered frustrated, he knew nothing about magic. It wasn’t something tangible that he could grasp a hold of, at least not physically. 

“Yes, you do,” Harry retorted, “You took my magic as your own, you have the willpower, now take it, it doesn’t matter if your control doesn’t last long. This is just to give you a taste of what you’re magic is like. Feel it. Own it. Take it and claim it.” with that Harry began to slowly withdraw his own magic, it took some time, he was using a lot of it to allow Stiles to grasp his own. 

Peter watched in rapid curiosity as Harry’s magic began to fade, leaving the wizard to come back to himself as his green eyes gleamed ardently on Stiles. Watching him enthusiastically to see how he would do on his own. Peter’s gaze shifted to Stiles, watching him now to see how long it would continue. Then the blue light blazed like an inferno. 

“You bloody did it, kid, I knew you had it in you,” Harry said reverently, a proud smile splitting his face in two. Stiles had just connected with his magic, the spark was fully active, with the power of a pack behind him…he was going to be unstoppable. 

Moments later the magic faded from Stiles, who gasped and began panting, sweat pouring down his face. “Bloody hell,” he croaked. Slumping to the floor, his entire body ached, he felt shaky and weak, like he’d ran a marathon, or had the flu. Despite his aches and pains, he felt undeniably smug and proud of himself, especially with the look Harry was giving him…it had been a long time since his dad had looked at him that way. 

“Not a feeling you’ll forget is it?” Harry said with a wicked smirk. 

Stiles mutely shook his head, too exhausted to even raise his head let alone open his mouth and speak. 

“You won’t always be that exhausted after using it, just in the beginning,” Harry promised, chuckling as he levitated Stiles up who grinned in amusement, and plonked him on the most comfortable chair he had in the library. “Get some rest,” he told the teen, summoning a throw and putting it over the teen who would have normally protested against being ‘put down for a nap’ a testament to how exhausted he actually was. 

“Rest? He’ll be out of it for the rest of the night,” Peter stated, feeling the depth of Stiles exhaustion, both through the pack bonds and his nose. 

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Harry conceded, cocking his head to the side, if he was still asleep at ten he’d get in touch with Noah before putting him in his usual bedroom when he stayed the night with Teddy. “Are Cora and Derek alright?” he asked as he exited the library, the smell of food penetrated his nostrils, and it smelt utterly divine. 

“They’re bonding,” Peter replied, “Which probably consists of grunts, fights and complaints.” It seemed both Derek and Cora had lost the ability to communicate after the fire. Cora had an excuse…Derek not so much, but it all came down to how the trauma had been handled. Which, it hadn’t unfortunately. 

Harry laughed, “They’ll get there,” once again he marvelled at the fact that Laura had been such a bad Alpha and sister that she hadn’t gotten her brother the help he so desperately needed. Regretfully the doubt was now completely ingrained in Derek’s mind that it would take years for him to undo the bitter damage he had done to himself. “It will just take time for them to open up, forgive and forget past hurts and live their lives, just as they know your family would want.” Perhaps once the hunters were gone for good it might ease some of the tension constantly running through them. They went out considerably happier than when they came back, there was just a tension in their bodies, a suspicion that they were going to be targeted just because. 

“Perhaps,” Peter replied ponderously, he wasn’t sure if Derek would ever recover…if any of them would truly recover. 

“It smells amazing,” Harry sighed as he went to the fridge and opened a can of Pepsi and drank it. 

“Then perhaps it’s time we had that conversation…” Peter said, his gaze never wavering from Harry, trying to gauge every little nuance about him. “Over dinner?” 

Harry’s eyes flicked up to Peter in transparent surprise, green met blue, both of them gauging the others reaction, “I think you’re right, maybe now is the best time.” When there was nobody else around they were able to have this conversation in moderate privacy. Stiles was definitely out of it, and he wouldn’t be able to sneak up on him or Peter…at least not yet, not until he learned how to use his magic. 

 

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Anddd I've backed myself into a corner :O I have no idea how this conversation should go! Or rather I'm drawing blank on how the conversation should go and what it should entail...hopefully I'll figure something out, just a heads up though might be a while before you get another update...and maybe no surprise to any of you if the 'conversation' is gleaned over by either Peter or Harry...will Derek get his own place or will he be enjoying the safety that Harry's home represents to him? or will they buy what will be known as 'the pack house' when they expand? or will Harry's place always be the pack house? definitely won't be the hale house :P that's for sure! or abandoned train stations! Next chapter will have Satomi again as well, and MACUSA perhaps the president himself? :D perhaps hearing the truth from a stranger on how much Harry fought to keep him out of prison might 'warm' Scott to him and make him listen? Read and Review please!


	30. Chapter 30

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 30

“Beer, wine or whisky?” Harry asked, turning towards the fridge, grabbing himself a cold beer, placing it on the table, before returning for two glasses and the firewhisky after Peter’s reply. He’d expected nerves to begin getting the better of him, but surprisingly he was actually calm. Perhaps he had been waiting for this, but that was a ridiculous notion, he’d never expected to find a match. Let alone find one in a werewolf, not that he was prejudice, but he was magically very powerful, hence why he’d never expected to find a match. It was rare in and on itself anyway, hardly anyone ever found their match. Rare? Try unheard of, basically a rumour at this point, but there were people who still believed. 

Pouring more than a generous amount into each glass, as the food was laid out, sliding one over to Peter’s side he opened his beer and drank the contents in one go. It floated over to the recycling without any incantation or a twitch of Harry’s finger. Sitting himself down, he stared pensively before his eyes shot up to Peter, “There is one thing you should know about me, if we are to do this…then there cannot be any lying, even if its for ‘my own good’ or any such nonsense.” He stated firmly, green eyes gleaming seriously, “I will not tolerate or forgive it.” it was non-negotiable, it’s better to know up front that way there would be no excuses. 

Peter acknowledged the words with a nod, somehow the words didn’t surprise him the least. He did admit to a certain amount of curiosity over why though, it didn’t take a genius to deduce that he must have been lied to a lot in his life. The desire to learn everything about Harry hadn’t diminished, in fact the mystery factor made him want to uncover everything. The whole ‘own good’ spoke volumes too, so it must have been someone very close to him. “I hope one day you’ll inform me of just why,” Peter spoke solemnly, as he began to eat the food, having no desire to have the food he’d slaved over for hours going cold. 

Harry gave Peter an amused look, “That is sort of the point of dating someone,” he pointed out his willingness to explain anything that Peter wished to know. 

Peter’s lips twitched, their conversations were going to be extremely fun, “Indeed,” Peter said wryly, understanding the unspoken words, “I look forward to it,” and wasn’t that the truth? He was pretty sure Harry was a private person and rarely shared anything about himself. He must have been through horrific things, he was…jaded, harsh, especially against injustice. In other words…perfect for him, he doubted he could have stomached someone so utterly naïve, not without breaking them anyway. 

“I’m sure,” Harry murmured quietly, he knew he came of as mysterious because he didn’t speak about his past, but the reality was…he didn’t discuss it because I wasn’t something good. He didn’t want to remember everything that had happened, he made a fresh start for both him and Teddy, although not easily accomplished. Sipping his whiskey, he asked, “What is it you want from a relationship, Peter? What do you want out of the future?” was it something Peter had even thought about? 

“Companionship,” Peter replied immediately, after spending six years in a coma, in agony, stuck in his own mind as the world passed him by…alone, it was little wonder he just wanted someone in his life. If it hadn’t been his mate, Peter would never have confessed to this, but he had promised him never to lie. He would never have told anyone else this, he wasn’t one for displaying vulnerability, not when he could help it. he’d already been vulnerable enough for the past six years, as the left hand of the Hale pack…and now the Alpha it was…intolerable to think about. Being around people did get overwhelming though, even if it was family. 

“It’s the same for most people,” Harry agreed, why else would you enter into a relationship? Well, unless you were after someone’s money he derisively summarised bitterly. He did notice Peter had avoided his other question, but he supposed its only to be expected. There was probably part of Peter who didn’t know what he wanted and was still trying to figure that out. That was okay, he had all the time in the world to figure out what he wanted, and he had Harry keeping an eye on him making sure it wasn’t down a route from which there would be no return. 

“How about you?” Peter asked, his shrewd gaze meeting Harry’s, there wasn’t a single sign that there had ever been a man in the house. The scents in the house were of five people, Scott, Derek, and more prominently, Teddy, Stiles and of course, Harry. “How is it that nobody has caught your attention?” how was it that he wasn’t married? 

“Not many single guys want to date a man who has a kid, especially a kid that isn’t their partners blood,” Harry said wryly, his eyes filled with icy calmness, “I learned to be happy with what I had, and those I’ve been with were looking for mutual one night stands.” 

Peter had a feeling there was more to that story, chewing calmly on the food, which was delicious by the way, “What actually brought you to America in the first place? Your accent is quite…confusing. It’s as though you grew up simultaneously in two different places, it changes depending on your mood.” 

Harry interlocked his fingers, food forgotten for the moment, placing his forefingers under his chin, “I needed a fresh start, not just for me but Teddy as well, what clinched it was the fact I was being offered a job, one that suited me well.” 

“What exactly do you do? I believe…that the case you’ve been working on is different from your normal activities, but I may be wrong,” Peter asked Harry, who had resumed eating for the moment. He could sense how much Harry was enjoying the meal, and it took everything in him not to puff out in pride. 

“You’d be correct,” Harry agreed, around a bite of meat, swallowing it he continued on, “I hunt down and take care of the worst kind of scum, normally extremely powerful wizards who are a threat to society…and so far eluded capture.” He kept the magical world safe, and yes, sometimes that meant killing, but it was all Harry knew. He’d been raised to believe he had to save everyone, so the job fitted perfectly. 

“One could liken you to a spy then? Or MI6,” considering he was British he was technically overseas so he could be classed as MI6. It was…liberating to know that they were similar, he did similar work, but not for the world on a whole but the safety of his pack. They did things humans and others would find despicable, who wanted a safe world…but didn’t want to know the ugly consequences of that safe world. It was hypocritical of them, but the human mind had been conditioned to think it makes them no better than the bad guys. 

“Yes, or in our own terms, I’m an Unspeakable and an Auror,” Harry informed him, giving him the names so he could perhaps read about them to gain a better understanding on who and what he was. He wasn’t blind to all the books Peter was devouring with rapid ease, quick learner and even quicker reader. “Do you see yourself returning to life as a lawyer?” 

“Perhaps one day, when things are settled,” Peter mused more to himself, it was just a matter of finding out whether life would settle down or if hunters would continue to pour into Beacon Hills just because the Hales had returned. He had no doubt the entire hunter network were aware of his wakening from a coma and the return of Derek and perhaps even Cora. 

“And why would you believe they won’t?” Harry asked, cocking his head to the side, “Does it have anything to do with what happened the night we found Cora?” as shrewd as ever. He had never received a reply to that question, then he’d been side-tracked by everything that was happening. 

Peter’s lips twitched despite himself, yes, he was extremely smart and that pleased him immensely. “I sensed…we sensed…five Alphas,” 

“Just Alphas?” Harry asked, eyebrows raising in shocked disbelief.

Peter nodded, he didn’t need to explain why that was so unusual, he did however, feel the need to explain another thing entirely. “A year before the fire, Deucalion a werewolf, who was trying to broker peace with the Argents was attacked, his pack decimated. There were rumours at the time that he was blind and Deucalion was actually the one behind the killing of his pack. We were naturally inclined to write them off as rumours, killing your pack is…well something no sane wolf would do.” 

“Naturally,” pack was family at the end of the day, but he was aware not all of them thought that way. 

“I’ve since spoken to many of my contacts and Derek who kept up with the supernatural world despite the fact Laura didn’t want to,” Peter continued, “The rumours were true, both of them, Deucalion did kill them and was blind, doing so gained their Beta sparks for himself, it made him more powerful and ferocious. Everyone is terrified of this so called ‘Alpha pack’ two others since then had gone on to do as Deucalion done, killing everyone in their pack including their emissaries.” The thought still made him sick. 

“Merlin,” Harry whispered horrified, shaking his head, “Why? Why target other packs? If this all begun with a treaty why not target hunters? What’s his end goal?” his mind mulling over everything he’d just learned. 

“It seems two others have since joined the ‘Alpha pack’ making them a group of five.” Peter finished, he personally was in awe that a pack of five alphas could co-exist together in a pack. It shouldn’t be possible, but there you are, six years on and Deucalion was still going strong. He knew the main three by name, and had actually met them, the two additional scents, very similar at that, were unknown to him. 

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose at this information, these werewolves had done the unthinkable, “Damn, that is information we need to share with Hermione, she will need to know.” It was a hell of a way to begin a new job, with a bloody bang, but for the once golden trio turned duo…Harry shouldn’t have expected anything less.

Peter pursed his lips and nodded grimly, completely agreeing, especially considering he did not believe that their appearance near Cora was a coincidence. By the moon, it definitely wasn’t a fluke. He had a bad feeling that the Alpha pack would come here, he rather hoped not, but Peter was smart enough to realize hoping wouldn’t change a damn thing. 

“It’s almost as if he is building a strong pack, of Alpha followers, what does he think that’s inevitably going to lead? World dominion? Mass scale of attacks against hunters? Is that even one of his concerns?” Harry muttered absently, “Worse still what if they’re wanting to wipe out their own kind? Make them the only werewolf pack in existence? Do they not care about the exposure risk? Nobody ever learns No-Maj’s are crafter than they realize…well, maybe this world a bit more than mine did,” he conceded, the hunters actually seem to win against the werewolves, and wasn’t that a damn shock? President Donovan certainly acted so. 

“You cannot shut it off can you?” Peter said, eyes gleaming as he stared at Harry in admiration, his inability to give up had given him and his family closure, a chance of being close again. Nothing like they used to be, unwell or not…he had still killed Laura and that would always come between them to a certain extent. Especially right now, when it was so fresh for Derek, Cora on the other hand hadn’t reacted much since the initial conversation they had. Harry’s explanation as to why Laura had been alone…made more sense than anything else did. Laura had thought Cora had grown up, grown strong and came back to Beacon Hills for revenge while she was in the process of finding out what happened to her family. She’d rushed back here, not taking Derek because she didn’t want him there, and because of the knowledge she had that Cora was actually alive. 

“Can you?” Harry returned, with a wicked grin that showed more teeth than necessary before he gulped the rest of his whiskey. 

“I’d summarise it’s much easier than talking about your past,” Peter replied, he doubted very much Harry had to explain his past to anyone, everyone seemed to know him. So, to do so with him must be a daunting task really. Especially considering Peter believed it wasn’t as calm and somewhat peaceful as his own had been. 

Harry sobered up at that, “Yes, it certainly is,” he agreed, as Peter refilled his glass, “My past is a…long arduous tale, one that most people would have difficulty following, even wizards and witches,” the general public didn’t know what a bloody Horcrux was let alone just how dangerous and dark they were. Hell, Harry wished he didn’t know but that time had since long passed. 

“That I had long ago deduced,” Peter replied, or at least suffered some sort of trauma, he’d been the only one other than the President of MACUSA not to react during Argent’s burning at the stake. The rest of the wizards and witches hadn’t been able to watch, and their emotions were one of constant confliction. In fact, Harry had ensured she suffered to the maximum for what she did to his family…to other families out there who now had closure, Peter had ensured everyone who had lost family to the woman had found out she was dead and how she’d gone out. 

Harry barely glanced in the direction of the front of the house when he sensed Cora and Derek returning.

“It isn’t difficult when you actually observe someone,” Harry agreed, “More often though, they’re just thought of as moody, bad tempered and have most people suspicious of them because they refuse to smile and act as if everything was alright in the world.” 

“Speaking from personal experience?” Peter asked, truly curious to know whether Harry had suffered from such reactions. 

“Of sorts, I suffered from a different kind of…prejudice,” Harry conceded, “People saw me, had expectations and when they weren’t met I was turned into evil reincarnate, too many times in past that’s happened that I no longer have an accurate number to the times I experienced it.” 

Derek and Cora ran around the other side of the house, coming in through the utility room, by then Peter was aware of their return. Peter felt himself relax marginally just knowing they were safe and out of harms way. He was too curious to remain distracted for long. Replaying Harry’s statement in mind he spoke again. 

“Why is that? Your power?” Peter queried, “I would have thought you’d keep it hidden from the general population,” assuming he was discussing Muggles or No-Maj’s since both were constantly mentioned in the books. Some were from England and some were of course, from America, he was quite quick to deduce that both meant the same thing just different names. 

Harry sighed, Peter wouldn’t understand unless he told him everything, and Harry…wasn’t used to that. Normally everyone knew more than he did, especially in the beginning so this was odd…yet extremely liberating. “I was born on July 31st 1980, there was a war waging in the magical world at that point, and had been for quite some time. From all I’ve pieced together, my parents were on the run before and after I was born, trying to stay one step ahead of the Dark Lord Voldemort’s followers,” 

Peter couldn’t help the snort that left him, “Voldemort?” he said, actually saying it correctly, with the silent t and all. “Flight of death? That was the name he chose?” 

“It’s ironic twice through, his birth name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, and if you shift the letters it changes into an anagram, ‘I am Lord Voldemort’ much like Doctor Who and Torchwood.” Harry replied wryly, that he’d picked up from Stiles, the teens – Stiles and Teddy – were obsessed with both of them, and anything Marvel related, it was little wonder the boys got on so well. Judging the look Peter gave him, he was able to deduce the very same thing, that it was Stiles and Teddy’s doing. “Voldemort was terrified of death, he had grown up amidst the bombings in London during the war, in an orphanage where he had been since he was born. He went to great lengths to ensure he couldn’t die, rituals and the like.” 

“Worm moon ritual,” Peter mused, it was one he had been contemplating knowing he wouldn’t survive the fight with the Argents, or suspecting so at any rate. Not with Derek, an unwilling Beta and the hunters all on his tail, he’d intended to create a failsafe. 

“That is actually…quite accurate,” Harry said with a bitter chuckle, fundamentally what happened to him. “Voldemort was terrified of dying, as I said, and he created…what we call Horcruxes, containers that host a piece of your soul. It’s the darkest of arts, the most foul magic in existence…and the ritual to create it? It’s quite frankly sickening, but let’s just say it requires a sacrifice, not a willing one, and that sacrifice results in death. Oddly enough it doesn’t even require you to be the one to do the deed.” 

Peter rose an enquiring eyebrow, curiosity getting the better of him, believing Harry wholly he could sense how sick he felt just mentioning it. 

“Voldemort created his first one when he was sixteen years old, still at Hogwarts, which is our magical school in Scotland, My parents attended, as did and I, Teddy’s parents and Teddy himself as well.” Harry explained, drinking the whiskey, relishing the burn in his throat and the warmth pooling in his stomach. “He wanted to create seven, he was obsessed with the number. At one point, there were seven pieces of his soul out there, but Voldemort didn’t know that, he assumed he had only six.” 

“How is that possible? You said it yourself it requires rituals, sacrifices and death, how could he be unaware of doing the ritual seven times?” Peter queried, as always jumping on a problem and having no qualms about wanting clarification. 

“To create a Horcrux, a wizard first had to deliberately commit murder. This act, said to be one of supreme evil, would result in the murderer metaphysically damaging their own soul. A wizard who wished to create a Horcrux would then use that damage to their advantage by casting a spell which would rip the damaged portion of the soul and encase it in an object. If the maker was later killed, he or she would continue to exist in a non-corporeal form, although there were methods of regaining a physical body. However, few would want to live in such a form and death would be preferable to most.” Harry recited the words he was so familiar with, “Voldemort created more than one, damaging his soul so severely that when he killed again, he unwittingly shed yet another part of his soul without using the ritual.” 

Peter nodded that he understood the ramifications behind it. 

“Before I was born there was a prophecy created that spoke of a baby being born with the ability to defeat the Dark Lord, having power that ‘he knew not’ the Dark Lord’s followers heard of this prophecy, or rather half of it and relayed the information to the wizard. It spoke of a child born as the seventh month dies, and it was that moment that the Dark Lord became obsessed with ending the threat before it had a chance to grow up. He intended to kill children, babies, which by the way at that point had never happened.” As evil as they were…they’d never outright killed children, it was perhaps why Voldemort chose to deal with the threat himself. 

Peter was able to quickly latch on to when Harry was born, and realized that this was actually his story, not just a history lesson. “You,” he said, drinking his own whiskey, it actually gave him a buzz far longer than any alcohol ever had. Which was saying something since drink metabolised too fast for them to get drunk, although they would feel the affects for a brief moment. 

“By all hallows eve, of 1981 Lord Voldemort had decided to go after the one boy who was most like himself. A Half-Blood, only two people were born on that day, or near enough. Myself and Neville Longbottom. My parents had just a week prior had gone into hiding, using a charm called the Fidelus charm, which would hide them from view of everyone. Voldemort could have the house they were in but still be unable to see them, hurt them. Unfortunately, they trusted the wrong person with their lives and the life of their child.” 

Peter’s heart sank, by the moon it was a surprise the boy would trust anyone. 

“One week, just one week he waited before revealing all to Voldemort, betraying them to death. My father shouted to my mum to take me and run, that he’d hold Voldemort off.” Harry informed him, without any emotion showing on his face, but as a werewolf, Peter was able to sense the undiluted longing and pain that Harry kept buried. “He didn’t last long, he was swiftly killed painlessly by Voldemort, my mum yelled out my fathers name, as she placed me in my crib with nowhere to go, she did all she could to protect me. Refusing to step aside when Voldemort ordered her to, declaring that she did not need to die.” 

Peter of course, failed to realize just how…significant that was, how strange given Voldemort hated Muggle-Borns. 

“Three times he told her to step aside, and three times she begged him to take her instead, to spare me,” Harry continued, eyes a little vacant, as he could see the scene playing out, and having been in his baby bedroom he knew what it looked like. He could visualise it without any problem whatsoever. “He uttered the words ‘very well’ and killed her, and sealed his own fate. He turned his wand on me, a fifteen month old boy, and uttered the killing curse, something then, however, happened that he did not intend. The killing curse bounced back after hitting me, it destroyed Voldemort’s body and his soul…as fragmented as it was, fled, but not before a small piece lodged itself inside of me.” Automatically his hand raised to his scar. Which existed to this day, but very faint to the point it was nearly unnoticeable. 

“You have Eidetic memory?” Peter asked in sympathy, assuming that was how he remembered the attack despite his young age. Even they didn’t remember things that far back. 

“No, I was in the presence of Dementors when I was thirteen years old, they are deadly and the foulest creatures to roam the earth…they guard the wizarding prison Azkaban. They make you relive your worst memories, which is what those were…I was terrified of them so much so that it was the form my Boggart took. A Boggart takes the shape of the thing you fear the most…most people feared snakes, clowns…” 

“But what you feared yourself was fear itself,” Peter stated calmly. He made a mental note to avoid prison sentences in the magical world. 

Harry gave Peter a small grin, “Exactly what Remus said, Teddy’s father,” Teddy had gained Remus’ smarts, in fact Harry would say Teddy was smarter than his parents but he might just be slightly prejudice. 

Peter couldn’t get over the fact that a child had been named Remus and then been bitten. It seemed many things in the magical world were ironic. “I am sorry for your loss,” even if it was decades too late. It felt…inadequate somehow. “I am more sorry that you didn’t get to know them.” 

“I think…you’re the first person to actually say that to me,” Harry said sincerely, “You see…my parents deaths were celebrated, my survival was celebrated, the night Voldemort was ‘vanquished’ people were celebrating, raising glasses to celebrate ‘The-Boy-Who-Lived’ which was the moniker they had given me. All bar a few actually grieved for them. That night my entire life changed they were drinking happily setting off fireworks and nearly exposing the magical world…I found it entirely distasteful, horrific even.” It sickened him. 

Peter met Harry’s gaze without a hint of incredulity, people could be disgusting, nothing would or could surprise him much. Instead he simply nodded his understanding and acceptance to the words. 

“I was taken from my home in the dead of the night and given to the only other relatives I had, my aunt and uncle, from my others side they were perfectly ordinary, and they seemed to relish in that fact.” Harry said, lip curling in distaste just thinking about them. “For the next ten years I grew up in a cupboard under the stairs, was repeatedly punished for any instance of accidental magic, which by the way I was ignorant of, I knew nothing of my true world, or my magic in general…I used to tell them ‘it just happened’ because it was true, accidental magic did happen to all children. Hell, we weren’t even allowed to utter the word ‘magic’ without it starting Vernon off. As you can construe I grew up extremely unhappy and alienated by everyone around me. Everyone thought I was a ‘troubled boy’ due to the fact my aunt and uncle told everyone who would listen including my school I was extremely disturbed.” 

Peter felt rage course through him, to completely abuse and alienate him at home was one thing…but to stop him getting any freedom from them they were making sure nobody would want anything to do with him? Even if Harry had spoke up and told anyone he was abused they wouldn’t have believed a word he said. It was the most despicable thing he’d ever heard, right up there with training innocent children to be assassins to take out werewolves. If it had been a stranger…Peter wouldn’t have cared, he freely admitted that. Harry wasn’t a stranger, not only had he helped him, Derek, Cora but he had also helped an ungrateful Scott McCall and most importantly he was his mate. “When did you realize you had magic?” he queried successfully tapering down the rage that was threatening to consume him. 

“When I was eleven, I was invited to attend Hogwarts as the rest of the Potter’s before me,” Harry explained, “I…they didn’t even have the courtesy to tell me about why I was being looked at, revered, having people shaking my hand for no reason. I eventually had to ask Hagrid, the half giant who had come for me, what was going on. That is when I got the story, before that day I had been under the impression my parents were unemployed louts who died in a car crash…when in reality they’d been murdered by a wizard that they couldn’t even say the name of. They usually called Voldemort You-Know-Who and He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.” 

Peter didn’t understand that at all, the magical world was extremely weird he told himself. The fact he was something of a celebrity, and didn’t tell him he found diabolical. He could imagine how confusing it would be for an eleven year old boy. It takes some political savvy to deal with any minor notoriety, at least most children were protected from it. “Did you get an adequate explanation?” or did they just tell him everyone knew his name because his parents were murdered? 

Harry snorted, “Merlin no, not at all,” bitterly amused. 

“I was…somewhat protected from reporters at Hogwarts…but it didn’t help with my fellow students, who either hated me because they had family on the opposite side of the war and had grown up with my name being cursed. Or they had an idealised version of me, of someone great and powerful…but the reality was disappointing for most of them.” Harry shrugged, these things no longer bothered him, but they had immensely at the time. “Protected,” he scoffed after a brief pause. 

Peter’s eyebrows were raised once again in curiosity, he sensed that Harry was clamming up, he didn’t want to discuss it further. “Did you play any sports? Is there any sports to play in the magical world?” 

Harry smiled, genuinely happy, “Yes, we play Quidditch.” 

Peter was surprised by the change in Harry, he looked years younger, extremely happy and content. 

“Quidditch matches are played over an oval-shaped pitch, with a scoring area at each end consisting of three hooped goal posts, each at a different height. Each team is made up of seven players, consisting of three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and one Seeker. The job of the Chasers is to keep possession of the scarlet Quaffle, a leather ball passed between players. They must attempt to score goals (worth 10 points) by throwing it through one of the opponents' three hoops. These hoops are defended by the opposing team's Keeper, who ideally tries to block their goals. Meanwhile, players of both teams are attacked indiscriminately by the two Bludgers. These are round, jet-black balls made of iron that fly around violently trying to knock players off their brooms. It is the Beaters' job to defend their teammates from the Bludgers; they carry short wooden clubs, which they use to knock the Bludgers away from their teammates and/or toward the opposing team. Finally, the role of the Seeker is to catch the Golden Snitch. This is a small golden ball the approximate size of a walnut. The winged Snitch is enchanted to hover, dart, and fly around the pitch, avoiding capture while remaining within the boundaries of the playing area. Catching the Snitch ends the game and scores the successful Seeker's team 150 points. As the team with the most points wins, this often guarantees victory for the successful Seeker's team but not always, it depends on the score.” 

“What about you? Did you play sports while you were in school?” Harry questioned, or were they unable to due to their strength? 

“I played Basketball, I was the captain by junior year,” Peter replied smugly, as always confident and superior of anything he did. And all he did, he made sure to do it very well. “Never lost a game.” And that was true, with him around he always made sure of that. His control was ironclad and nobody had any reason to say he should stop playing for safety’s sake. 

“Unfortunately I can’t boast the same,” Harry said wryly, “Although it was no fault of my own.” He conceded as he banished the empty plates and glasses to the sink, and the empty beer bottles to the recycling boxes. “Would you like to see a game?” 

“Basketball or Quidditch?” Peter questioned. 

“Quidditch,” Harry replied, grinning impishly at Peter, feeling decades younger just dwelling on happier times. “There’s a game due to start in ten minutes,” 

“Then yes,” Peter stated firmly, curiosity getting the better of him. 

“Let’s go!” Harry said, summoning everything they’d need, before Apparating both of them. 

One thing he had failed to mention was the game was in Alaska and the blast of cold air was a shock to the system even for a werewolf. Harry though just laughed, as he handed over the money to gain entrance to the Quidditch stadium, it didn’t take long for Peter to recover and swiftly make his way upstairs with Harry, as the tannoy – or what he thought was one – announced the start of the game. 

Then Peter was greeted with a sight that made him question everything he thought he knew about the supernatural world. 

\--------0

Back home Derek and Cora were still silent as they digested everything they’d heard Harry say to Peter. Of course, Derek out of them all suspected the most, due to the little titbits that Harry had divulged during their conversations. He knew without further alluding that this was only the beginning of Harry’s tragedy, Harry had said to him that he wasn’t the only one to suffer loss then have something else happen years afterwards. 

He had suffered just as much as they had, it was little wonder he understood and fitted in with them all. 

“Looks like they’re hitting it off,” Cora said, bluntly as always, “I’d say he’s lucky that he found his match, but…” the circumstances leading up to it were hardly happy. 

“I was beginning to think it would never happen,” Derek grunted, relaxing back, having Cora here was so strange, yet he was happy, so happy he still had family out there even if they weren’t the same as they had been before the fire. It did make things awkward that Cora was furious with Laura, Derek was just trying to keep the peace, refraining from defending her but also not condemning her actions. Everything was really his fault anyway, the fire, everyone’s actions and reactions to what happened. 

“Peter did always move fast,” Cora said with a grin, reminded of her childhood years. He’d been her hero, her favourite uncle, and she’d followed him around and watched him manipulate others. She’d learned everything she needed from him to survive after the fire and what she thought had been the loss of her entire pack, her entire family. It kept her alive, kept her safe. 

Derek snorted, unable to deny the obvious. Harry would be different from them all though, there was no way Peter would use and discard his mate. 

Not if he was better at any rate. 

If he was still insane now that would make it a different matter altogether. He prayed it wasn’t so, since Peter was their alpha and he was happier than he’d been in a long, long time. He had a proper pack again, an alpha who was motivated to protect them, to protect the town, and not just hiding and suffering in silence. It felt so good to be part of something greater than himself again. 

He couldn’t wait for Teddy to return home, he liked him…and even if he wouldn’t admit it, Stiles too. 

Peter and Harry remained out half the night before Derek and Cora were awoken to the sound of Apparation and quiet conversation only because their door was open. Derek grumbled silently as he padded towards his door, opting to close it, noticing that Cora had the same idea. They shared a knowing look that often came with the territory of having a werewolf family as the door closed with a soft click. 

Once closed, all and every single sound ceased allowing them to feel wrapped in a cocoon without feeling vulnerable. 

Derek slept that night without trouble or nightmares, it seemed as if Cora’s presence was settling something within Derek. 

“What did you think?” Harry asked, his voice filled with jubilance. He’d have to take everyone to a quidditch match soon, he’d forgotten how much fun it was. 

“It was…interesting,” Peter drawled bemused, not something he’d like to do a lot, he was a werewolf, he would have caught that snitch within ten minutes…healed from all the damage the Bludgers did within moments. It was quite interesting to see it played out after hearing about it, he certainly understood it completely, but it wasn’t his idea of a good time. Just like the fact he played basketball, didn’t mean he would go to basketball games he liked playing and that was it. 

“Let me guess…it isn’t your idea of a good time, you’d rather have your nose buried in a book?” Harry teased, smiling in commiseration. “Hermione was the same way, in fact she would attend and take books with her, she considered it a waste of time. Although…I’m curious I wonder if you’d be able to ride a broomstick, you’re magical you have that spark…” 

“That is true, but I did enjoy the experience,” Peter didn’t want to see that happiness fade from Harry’s face, it was the first time he’d let his hair down so to speak and it was…beautiful to see. 

“Yeah, been a few years since I went to a match myself,” Harry agreed, he had enjoyed it too. “I’m usually too busy while Teddy is at Hogwarts, with cases and the like since I didn’t do much work while raising him.” MACUSA had been quite accommodating with where they sent him and the workload they gave him, but sure piled it up when Teddy was finally at Hogwarts…truthfully Harry hadn’t minded much at all. 

“Nothing abroad I assume?” Peter questioned, as they once again found themselves in the kitchen, Harry busy brewing himself a cup of decaf coffee, while Peter declined. 

“Exactly,” Harry said, giving him a grin. “Always only away for four hours at the most,” he always had someone he trusted watching Teddy during those times. 

“Where were you raised? Your accent is…it keeps changing subtly but there,” Peter asked, taking a seat, content to continue his conversation from earlier. 

“Raised for ten years in Surrey, London, England. After that the majority of my time was spent in Scotland, with only two months in England with the relatives,” Harry explained, “Its hardly surprising my accent changes a little, you have to remember I’ve been here for a long time too,” there was no denying that he was British though, he had never made any attempt to sound American, to blend in, people tended to like his accent anyway and it caused others to flock to him. “What about you?” 

“I never left this little town until I finished high school,” Peter explained, “After that I visited as many places as I could, while training for my position as the Left Hand and enacting it.” he’d had contacts in Beacon Hills keeping an eye out when he was away. His mistake was not getting new ones after the others either left town or died. He made a lot of mistakes, he wasn’t infallible even if he liked to think he was. 

“I get that, before attending Hogwarts I hadn’t been anywhere further than the few miles to primary school,” Harry said, sighing softly when he glanced at the time. “The Dursley’s usually had someone babysitting me when they left to go on holiday. I was never considered a part of their family. I know you lost your family Peter, and you haven’t grieved, like I told Derek you need to grieve for them, it will help in the long run,” 

Peter cleared his throat, trying to remove the lump that had grown so suddenly, “Excuse me,” with that Peter stood up and left the kitchen behind. 

Harry watched him go with sympathy and sadness playing across his face, Peter had to grieve for them, move on with his life, in order to start the next part of his life. To start up a relationship with Peter before he was ready…it would just be doomed to failure. 

No, he had to be ready, he had to drive it home. Just like he was with Derek…who was much more open and less closed off than he had been when they first met. 

\--------0 

“Good morning, Derek, breakfast?” Harry asked the empty kitchen, but it didn’t remain so for long, as Derek slid into the room quiet as always. He didn’t have to reply, since an entire buffet style breakfast was laid out for them to enjoy. Or perhaps not, since Harry was quickly grabbing some toast, and loading some egg, bacon and sausage onto it as though he had to eat quickly. 

As if sensing his unasked question, “I’m taking Scott to the MACUSA today, giving him first-hand accounts of what happens to feral werewolves, I hope in the long run…it will open his eyes.” 

“Which kind?” Derek asked in curiosity, since by all appearances, Teddy and Jimmy were sort of feral or would have been if not for the potion to stop it. To him they’d just been like puppies eager to chase and play the entire night. It had been fun, the most fun he’d had in a full moon for the past six years. 

“Both,” Harry replied, drinking from his coffee mug, “Nothing recent for your kind though, but it will be enough to drive home the seriousness. I believe it might also make him remember what he did to the young girl.” And she was young to him and even Derek, but only by a few years. Regret swirled around his green eyes, but he had to do best by the teenager and prevent any future deaths. He had acknowledged death and his own part in it at eleven, twelve, fourteen…etc…so Scott at sixteen should be able to. Merlin, he wished he had forced Scott to attend the full moon that night, but it was kidnapping for Merlin’s sake…and he was Auror, law enforcement, he couldn’t just do what he liked. 

“Good luck,” Derek murmured as he dug into the food with relish, feeling extremely hungry, he hadn’t eaten much yesterday. 

Harry huffed out an amused chuckle, “Yeah,” he said ruefully, “I guess I’ll need it.” Scott didn’t make things easier on either of them. 

“You’ll need what?” Cora asked as she entered, only seeing Harry as an Alpha stopped her running towards her food and stuffing her face, she knew to be more respectful than that. 

“Go on, help yourself, there’s no need to stand on ceremony in order to impress anyone,” Harry said, mischievously, he hadn’t spent much time with Cora and was still trying to gauge her reactions and find out what sort of personality she had. 

Cora in turn just flashed her eyes just as playfully before sitting down beside her brother and beginning to eat hungrily. 

It soon became apparent that last night had been too late and Peter was either sleeping in or avoiding him. He rather hoped it wasn’t the latter, he was rather hoping to kiss the werewolf, well not just kiss but there was that. A little moue left his lips before he stretched out, placing the coffee mug in the kitchen sink, leaving his half uneaten breakfast sandwich after glancing at the time. 

It was time to get Scott to MACUSA all else would have to wait. 

Story of Harry’s life unfortunately. 

 

\-------0

There we go! As you wanted A Life Worth Living updated! I am sort of disappointed myself that there was no kiss! LOL it will come soon enough I think...just need a reason that will ring true with both Harry and Peter ;) I did want to add Scott's whole thing into this chapter but it sort of ran away from me with them going to a quidditch game and the conversation. I was definitely NOT describing a Quidditch match it's horrendous trying to! Even JKR hated writing Quidditch scenes apparently! :D I do not blame her one iota! Read And Review Please!


	31. Chapter 31

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 31 

Scott’s uneven jaw was trailing along the floor as he followed Harry through the halls of MACUSA, properly seeing magic in an everyday environment for the first time. Gawping like crazy at the sight of the House-elves, the magical displays of zooming paperwork, wands and the wizards using the Floo Network to get to their destinations. In fact, a strangled yelp left his throat when the fire turned ‘green’ as it transported the witch away. Opening and closing his mouth, clearing wanting to say something but unable to do so. He looked so wild eyed and innocent, something he most certainly wasn’t, his eyes would attest to that. 

“Welcome to MACUSA,” a voice called out, causing Scott to jump in fright, gaining himself an incredulous look. 

“Scott McCall, this is the President of MACUSA, President Donovan, Sir, this is Scott McCall, the young werewolf I was telling you about.” Harry revealed simply, but none of this surprised Donovan, he had been expecting him after all. He’d shifted around some paperwork (thanks to Erin’s hard work) to spend some time with the young werewolf. From what he was hearing, the young were wasn’t endearing himself to anyone let alone him. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Sir,” Scott said politely, using the manners his mother had instilled in him, ones he’d used frequently at his job, which he no longer had. He missed working at the Vet clinic, although his new…abilities did sometimes prove to be a hindrance not a help. 

“You also, Mr. McCall,” Donovan, doing as Harry had asked and giving him a chance, not letting what he had heard colour his judgement. Even Charlie had been a bit…standoffish with Scott, and Harry evidently didn’t want that. Turning to face Harry he gave him a subtle order. “I have a case for you, it’s on top of my desk, Erin will get it for you.” 

“Sure, I’ll go and retrieve it now,” Harry said, curious to know what Devlin had in store for him now. “I’ll stick around near your office.” 

“Erin will be glad for the company,” was all Donovan had to say, he knew Harry would stick around, at least until he -was finished with the young werewolf. “Come, Mr. McCall, let me show you around,” making a mental map of the building so that the last place they went was the record room. Not that he was going to show the young werewolf everywhere, many of the departments were restricted. 

With a nod, Harry strode off towards his office, via the elevators and Donovan turned to the young werewolf. Giving the young man his entire attention. “This is the main lobby of MACUSA. MACUSA stands for the Magical Congress of the United State so America. Representatives from all over America had this place created for the betterment of Wizardkind. We police and protect wizards and witches all over the United States.” 

Scott said nothing as he dutifully followed Donovan, confused as to why he was even here to begin with. He did look around everywhere they went in awe though. The silence was awkward on his part, but Donovan was quite content to wander around the building with the young werewolf quite happily. 

Until they came upon an memorial of sorts, “This was dedicated to the original twelve, Aurors, our police force. They faced great many challenges in their lives. There were so few of them and the challenges they faced meant they might have to lay down their lives for their country. The descendants of these Aurors are still shown a great deal of respect for what they did so all of us can live unencumbered lives.” Donovan explained, there were chiselled out faces of the twelve Aurors etched upon the stone carving. Below that was a list of their names. One in particular caught Scott’s attention, he touched it almost mindlessly. 

That name was Abraham Potter.

“Yes, Harry is distantly related to Abraham Potter,” Donovan revealed, and it wasn’t why he had everyone’s respect ironically enough. Abraham did more than his fair share for MACUSA, to give them structure and a chance of a better life for Wizardkind. A small sad smile on his face, out of the twelve, only two were given the blessing of living to old age. Abraham Potter wasn’t one of them regretfully, but he had rose to fame again when genealogists had discovered that Abraham was distantly related to the ‘famous Harry Potter’ as it were. Except from Graves he was probably the most known Auror on the list since the attack on the Potters. They weren’t as fanatic as the British people apparently, they didn’t know much about Harry’s private life, but they did know he was bothered relentlessly by people because of who he was back in Britain.

“Why am I here?” Scott whispered, confused by everything that was happening today, his mind reeling over the fact that, yes, magic was actually real. They had a government, there were many of them, they even had a bloody President. 

“To listen, to learn,” Donovan stated, guiding Scott towards the basement where the records were all kept. Erin had them all laid out for him, so it would be easily found. It was very old, no doubt, they’d had no say in that part of the supernatural world in such a long time. Once there, he opened the door, blinking in surprise when he saw clerks levitating boxes that were positively caked in dust. 

Donovan stepped into the room, clearing his throat loud enough for them to hear him. “What are you doing?” he asked them, his tone deceptively mild. Whatever this was…he had not given them permission to raid the archives. 

“We’ve been asked by Ms. Granger to takes these from storage and up to her office, Sir,” Neal revealed, “We were told to give her what she asked for.” his young face filled with worry that he had done the wrong thing. He had only been working there for three months, he had plans to work his way up, just like everyone else who began working here at MACUSA. 

Well he had given carte blanche to the young witch who had not only just one office to run but an entire department. It wasn’t going to be easy, so he’d given her permission to do as she needed in order to get it up and running as swiftly as possible. He hadn’t expected her to already be knees deep in getting outdated information. It wasn’t as if any of the cases could be closed, cold cases this extreme were definitely not going to be of use to anyone. 

“Where is the one I requested?” Donovan questioned, brushing off the fact things were going so quickly. He suspected quite frankly that Ms. Granger would be someone he’d constantly be surprised by. 

“It’s in the corner, Sir,” Neal was once again the spokesperson for the group who had all ceased their current activities when he demanded answers. Pointing to which corner he was indicating, “Can we continue?” he wanted to make sure it was fine. 

“Go ahead,” Donovan waved away their concern, lips twitching when they relaxed or exhaled in relief. Remembering Scott, who was still hovering just outside the door. He gestured for the werewolf to follow him, as he begun to walk down the dozens upon dozens of shelves lined with old case files. This was just the one of twenty-nine rooms filled with all their records. That wasn’t including the archives which housed their books and rare antiquities. Those rooms were locked up tightly, and needed verbal, written and approval to gain access, escorted if you went into the rarer antique/book rooms. 

Scott rubbed his nose, feeling rather sensitive due to the fact he was inhaling particles of dust with all the moving the others were doing. These were one of the few places that wasn’t spelled to get rid of the dust that accumulated. There was hardly any need, since it was so rare for people to be down here, and if they were it was only for a moment and only a few people. 

“Come and sit down,” Donovan demanded of the Scott, as he sat down and opened the box, finding the dozen cases they had on feral werewolves of Scott’s own kind. From the worst case to the milder ones, by the look of the thickness, but he knew Erin well, he didn’t need to see the thickness to know that’s what she’s done. They worked well together for a reason. 

Scott glanced at the clerks, as if hoping they’d help him for some unfathomable reason, before reluctantly sitting. Finding anywhere to look that wasn’t Donovan, which rather irritated the president of MACUSA. A wolf was a prideful creature, met everyone’s eyes in challenge, kept an ear and eye out for all movement in caution. Nothing about this boy screamed werewolf, it was…disconcerting really. Now Peter and Derek Hale…their moves, their gazes everything screamed predator. It made his magic pay attention, but not this boy. 

He was beginning to think this wasn’t going to be an easy fix. 

Donovan plonked the largest file down in front of Scott, who shifted restlessly, “What is this?” he asked, clearly wishing nothing more than to run from the room, perhaps the building itself. 

“This is the consequences of not controlling yourself,” Donovan revealed grimly, yes, he said himself, his wolf was part of him now there was no denying that. “This is Christopher Harlow, he was a bitten werewolf, of two years before the massacre you see before you.” Displaying the photos that moved, much more vivid than No-Maj pictures. “Hunters killed his four pack members, the fifth, who became the new Alpha ran, out of fear and the overwhelming sensation of gaining Alpha status, Christopher barely survived, a lone Beta, it wasn’t easy to find new packs back in those days.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” Scott asked defensively, he had an Anchor he could control himself just fine. 

“Because this is what’s going to become of you, Scott, if you do not listen to those around you. Harry tried to get you to go to his place during the full moon. You chose to discard everyone’s worries and fears…and look what happened? A girl died, and despite the fact he’s in no way responsible for what happened…he still takes that child’s death on his own shoulders. Everything you do Scott, will not only affect yourself, but your mother, your handler, which is Harry by the way, just for your information, and everyone else around you.” 

“He’s not my handler,” Scott’s own hackles raised at the term, not finding that particular word appealing. It reminded him of the threat of prison looming over his head. 

“But he is, Scott,” Donovan stated sharply, “He is the only reason you aren’t in prison.” He revealed. 

“What?” Scott croaked out, eyes wide in shocked disbelief. 

“You murdered someone, but Harry fought your case, insisted you be given a second chance. That you do not have a strong anchor and your wolf was given free reign.” Donovan explained patiently, with a sympathetic eye, well that wasn’t he term he used, he said like a wolf who had forgotten his wolfsbane. Nobody was surprised Harry went to such lengths to protect Scott from his actions. He had a son and Harry probably liked to think others would go to the same lengths to help Teddy. “That you were new, he quite almost lost, but taking responsibility for you gave everyone the assurance they sought. Prison for you, Scott would be…the worst fate imaginable. Werewolves are pack creatures, they desire to roam, play, have connections that you wouldn’t find in a prison. You’re anchor would deteriorate and before long you’d begin the descend into madness, and your wolf would go feral.”

“I’ll be fine,” Scott insisted, “I have a good anchor,” sure he was lying to Allison and rarely getting to see her, but he didn’t care. They were together and nothing was going to separate them. she wasn’t her family and he loved her. 

“Scott do you even acknowledge that you killed someone?” Donovan asked, his suspicions growing. 

“That wasn’t me!” Scott insisted persistently, “It wasn’t!” 

Donovan’s heart sank, his suspicions confirmed. “You and your wolf are not two different entities, Scott, you’re both two sides of the same coin.” 

“I didn’t even know the girl!” Scott squeaked out, eyes astonishingly wide. 

“It doesn’t matter, tell me, were you angry for any reason?” Donovan asked, a knowing look on his face, it didn’t change when he noticed Scott paling confirming that yes, he had been angry. “Anger makes both you and your wolf act up, along with the pull of the full moon you stood no chance of regaining your anchored state. There is hope for you Scott, Peter Hale, who was almost at the point of no return, nearly completely feral, remained completely human and quite content during the full moon after his recovery, after his history…if he can overcome his surely you can accept your own and learn to live with it?” 

Scott stared at Donovan, his mind reeling as he digested everything he’d just been told. Everyone had been telling him basically the same thing for a long time now. Unfortunately, he didn’t trust Harry or anyone he’d associated with, which was mostly werewolves so he didn’t trust them either. He felt he could do this on his own, refused to consider joining Peter’s pack, regardless of what his wolf felt. Not after he’d bitten him and tried to make him kill his friends, insane or not. He felt that Stiles was compromised when it came to Harry too, he’d known him years, even before they were friends. So, anything Stiles said was discarded as well, maybe he shouldn’t have been so hasty. 

What if he was to blame? And that tiny slither of doubt was enough to open the floodgates. The memories that had been supressed that night to save Scott from himself returned with vividity that had Scott clutching his head groaning in mental pain. The scenes replayed itself out, the emotions with pictures to go with, including how he felt taking the life of the girl, how much he’d enjoyed it, the feeling of wanting to rip out her heart and eat it. 

Scott gagged, his stomach twisting unpleasantly, horrified by his own thoughts and feelings. 

Donovan stood, gesturing for the others to remain back, as he took a step back himself. He suspected what was happening, and he definitely didn’t want to get in the way of an emotional werewolf. His wand slid into his hand, ready to do what was required if it became necessary. “Scott think on your anchor,” Donovan instructed him, “Put everything you can in thinking on it, calm down, close your eyes and just think,” he coached the visibly turned werewolf. He had read the books, but this was the first time he had seen such a change. None of it visibly startled him, but it did the clerks, who didn’t know what he was. They would soon due to helping Ms. Granger since they were being so helpful, he was going to reassign them. “Your anchor, just think on it,” he continued to coach, hoping something was getting through to the boy. 

“What’s wrong with him? Do we need to call the Aurors?” Colin asked, watching the scene with curiosity. He had never seen a werewolf do that before. He had a feeling that it wasn’t normal…but considering their president didn’t seem surprised perhaps he just wasn’t caught up on his creatures. 

“No need,” Donovan insisted firmly, and he knew they wouldn’t disobey him. 

After about five minutes of the same coaching, and the low growls and snarls from Scott his shift began to recede. Returning the youngster to his human visage, starting with his face until his claws were retracted. It wasn’t an easy smooth change, which indicated a difficulty. His anchor was only the thing stopping the complete change to being feral. 

This was so much worse than he suspected. He wondered if Harry even realized how bad it was. 

“Are you ready to continue?” Donovan asked, he had no time to mollycoddle the teenager, he had to get him to see reason and he only had a few hours to accomplish that. Considering everyone else had failed, he wasn’t holding out too much hope. 

“Yeah,” Scott’s tone was bitter and pained. 

“Good,” Donovan said, reclaiming his seat, gesturing for the others to get back to work. For the next three hours, Donovan went into excruciating details about what happens to werewolves without a pack. Right down to the grizzly details of what their wolf wanted to do, killing and eating the remains from the corpses. Until what remained of Scott’s humanity disintegrated into the madness. Not even an anchor would help him. In the end, nothing not even potions would help him, they would have to kill him to keep the supernatural hidden but with great regret. Giving him visible proof, including pensive memories from Aurors, or rather memories since Pensieve’s weren’t perfected at the time. It was a bit like the Muggles storing DNA before they had a way to test it, ahead of their times one might say. 

Donovan felt for the boy, he really did, but it had become clear he needed to be told how it really was. With the way things were, he wondered if Peter Hale would even let the boy into his pack. He was dating Allison Argent for Merlin’s sake, the niece of the woman who had burnt his family alive. It isn’t something easily overlooked, hopefully this would ensure he joined a pack at least. 

Get the help he needs to avoid a lengthy prison sentence or worse. Given how stubborn the young boy was, he suspected the worst would happen. 

\--------0 

It was a very subdued Scott who followed Donovan back up to MACUSA, clearly having had the fear of Merlin put into him. It had been worth pushing back meetings to ensure the supernatural world’s safety. It wasn’t the same sort of sulking he’d had going on when Harry first arrived with him. 

“I see you found the file no problem,” Donovan commented, not surprised to actually find Harry in his office, at the spare desk. With paper strewn across it with the wizard in question that he wanted Harry to catch. 

“Yeah, not much in it,” Harry said, glancing at Donovan shrewdly. “How the heck am I supposed to track this wizard when all trails are ten years old?” this could take him months, if not years this way. Ten years the trails were, for all they knew he was dead. 

“It hasn’t been updated?” Donovan asked, annoyed flashing over his features. 

“There’s nothing here,” Harry informed him, leaning back, his jaded gaze roaming over Scott for a moment before returning to Donovan. 

“Erin?” Donovan called out, the door was still open his assistant would hear him without having to use the intercom system. 

“Yes, Sir?” Erin appeared swiftly, a black book wedged under her armpit as she gazed expectantly.

“Where’s the updated information on the wanted fugitive Benedict Keller?” Donovan asked, his voice not as curt as he usually could be when evidence was misplaced. 

“I put it on your desk first thing,” Erin informed him, as she rounded his desk, before digging around in all the files she’d placed there herself since this morning. Giving a little ‘ah-hah’ when she found it, she passed it over to Donovan, “Anything else, Sir?” 

“No, nothing, thank you, Erin,” Donovan stated firmly. 

“You have a meeting with…” glancing at Scott she amended her statement, “You have meetings at one, two and four, all provisions have been made and all confirmed. I’ll let you know when they’re in the building. Right now there are two pieces of requests that need pushed through marked urgent on your desk, the rest are under it and need complete by the end of today, I’ll get them to their destinations after they’ve been signed.” 

Donovan nodded in agreement, much used to this by now, although she usually gave him names and information on the people he was meeting. She had – quite rightfully so – taken precautions so not to give out names with a stranger in the room. if Harry didn’t trust Scott then he wasn’t about to do so – he knew about the paperwork Scott had signed it was in his folder along with everything he was doing to earn his freedom.

Donovan turned and gave Harry the newest information on one of the more dangerous escaped convicts in MACUSA’s recent history. He was an escape artist, not only did he evade arrest he got out of MACUSA itself, and disappeared off the radar for ten years. He left a trail of bodies (bounty hunters and two Aurors) with his calling card on them. 

“Damn, when you said you’d want something in return you weren’t kidding were you?” Harry muttered as he read through the newer file on the escape artist/convict. 

“He’s getting cocky,” Donovan stated, “His killing spree is getting more and more brazen,” 

“But there’s no definitive proof that its him?” Harry asked, playing devils advocate, as he usually did. 

“Yes it’s him, you cannot duplicate ones magic, and his are imbued in his calling card, all other times he keeps his magic carefully concealed.” Donovan explained, “I tried to catch him for years,” 

“He’s the one that got away,” Harry said shrewdly. 

“Yes, he is,” Donovan gritted his teeth, and he loathed that fact. He didn’t like leaving things unfinished, but unfortunately he had become President of MACUSA and he wasn’t allowed on active duty, instead he had a different duty to the citizens of the United States. He hadn’t given the open case to anyone himself since the two Aurors had been killed. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop his killing spree every two years. He didn’t want to see the same happen to Harry, so he hadn’t given it to him especially with his son being so young at the time…but he was beginning to suspect Harry might be the only chance of stopping him once and for all. If anything happened to Harry though, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. “You have to understand just how dangerous he is…” he begun. 

“I’ve got the information here in front of me, I know how dangerous he is,” Harry cut him off, “I won’t underestimate him,” he didn’t underestimate his opponents. 

“He killed two of my best Aurors four years ago when they got close,” Donovan warned him, “Best and brightest the academy has seen in years.” 

“This information on his location the most recent?” Harry asked, just to make sure he wasn’t going to waste his time. 

“Facts have been double checked when I decided to bring you in on it,” Donovan declared. 

“Alright,” Harry said, gathering the paperwork and placing it all into the newer folder, before banishing the old one. Now all information was in one place, just how he liked it. Double checking quickly to make sure that everything was signed and sealed, including the arrest warrant, and the permission to take him down if he was a threat to human life. Snapping the folder closed one last time, he nodded to Donovan, “Let’s go,” he called to Scott, tomorrow he’d be going back to Satomi, perhaps they’d see a change in the young were.

“You’re one o’clock is here sir,” Erin said, just as Harry was leaving with Scott. 

“Excellent, bring them in,” Donovan called out. 

\-------0 

“Are you going to be alright Kid?” Harry asked as soon as they were stable, standing in the McCall’s living room. He was quiet, almost too quiet. Not the sulking kind either, which is something Harry had come accustomed to. No, this was a different kind. Honestly, it almost looked like Scott was about to go into shock, and he didn’t want to leave him. What the heck had Donovan said to him? He’d need to ask, whatever it was though, hopefully it will have gotten through to the stubborn idiot. 

Scott stared at Harry, “Y-y-you really stuck your neck out for me didn’t you?” he stuttered, finding himself completely confused by that. Harry had always given him the impression that he hated him. “Why?” 

\------0  
HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! :)

Well, there we go! the next chapter posted! Now the next chapter will be some Scott/Harry sincere conversations and then some magic lessons and maybe even a little Peter/Harry if it can be worked in or perhaps a big meal with everyone just before the full moon? The question is...will Scott realize he has people he can go to when Argent Senior begins his shit or will Scott spectacularly screw up again? Leaving himself truly an Omega with nobody willing to help due to the fact he helped hunters? Read and Review Please!


	32. Chapter 32

A Life Worth Living 

Chapter 32 

“Where did you go?” Derek asked Peter, as the aforementioned werewolf wandered into the house, clearly having been outside. It was actually the fourth time only, since he had been brought here that he’d gone out. The first was to pick up a book on sparks for Harry and Stiles, the second for food but it had been a shop at the edge of town to ensure nobody recognized him. Third time to a Quidditch match with Harry, a sort of date, but Peter had been in an odd mood since then. Peter had avoided going out, despite the fact Harry had made it so it was safe for him to do so. Documented ‘proof’ of leaving the country, getting plastic surgery and such. 

“Remind me who the alpha is between the two of us?” Peter said, giving Derek a pointed look. “I was meeting my contacts,” he added seeing the deadpanned look on Derek’s face. Without even consciously realizing it, Derek had become Peter’s second-in-command, the fact he was constantly asking him where he was, revealed as such. Peter did wonder if Derek was even aware of what he was doing. Or if he was just used to it, he was probably Laura’s Second-in-command despite it only being two of them. 

“What happened between you and Harry?” Derek asked, his tone pensive. 

“Nothing,” Peter stated, far too defensively to be even remotely truthful. That was without the heartbeat to give him away, which of course, it did. 

“Peter?” Derek said, a worried look passing over his features, was this when their peace was to end? The little pack they’d created here was it going to be over with just as he had begun to get used to life in a proper pack again? 

Peter was able to sense Derek’s worries and fears, “Look, don’t worry, it’s just something between Harry and I, nothing for you to get apprehensive over.” He explained, as he removed his jacket and claimed a seat, a picture of complete nonchalance. 

Just then someone apparated into the property, Derek and Peter froze on the spot, claws out but keeping their human visage quite easily. 

Hermione was one of the few who could actually Apparate straight into Harry’s home without needing the wards to accept her. By the few she reckoned she was the only one besides Stiles and Teddy – perhaps Jimmy now too – who could. Which is exactly what she did, only to find herself blinking at the sight of two men that were certainly not Harry. She could sense the predator under their skin, her magic was tingling giving her warning. Derek and Peter Hale, they were sitting on the sofa, and by the look of things she’d interrupted a tense conversation…either that or they were always this way. Her eyes flickered to their claws, she’d caught them by surprise. 

“Good afternoon, my name is Hermione Granger, I’m friends with Harry, which one of you is Peter Hale?” Hermione asked, her tone quiet and respectful. Her eyes narrowed in on the scowling figure, “Never mind, you must be Derek,” she said, giving him a fond smile, he reminded her of Harry after the war, the constant distrust and scowls he wore, trying to drive everyone away. The look of surprise that appeared definitely amused her. 

“I assume you’re here to speak to me about the Alpha pack?” Peter easily deduced for the reason behind the woman’s visit. 

Derek’s gaze became even more intense when he heard those words. 

“I am, Harry suggested it, is that okay?” Hermione asked, refusing to force her presence on the werewolf. “I can come back at your earliest convenience.” 

“Of course, but I believe Derek has information that I do not.” Peter informed her, warming to her, she wasn’t demanding answers instead she was willing to go at his pace. She did not smell afraid, so it wasn’t that she was afraid of them, not that she needed to be, with magic he’d bet they were both at a disadvantage to the witch. She held herself very similar to the way Harry did, like a soldier ready for battle, constantly scanning her surroundings. She had been involved in the war like Harry had. Of, that he had no doubt. Despite the fact he knew next to nothing about it. He and Harry hadn’t had much of a chance to truly discuss it. 

“May I?” Hermione queried, gesturing towards the seat. 

“Of course,” Peter replied, agreeable to her reply, now that he had, had a good look at her, he recognized her from the pictures Harry had set up all around the house. A lot of them were her, Harry and a redheaded boy, another wizard he presumed, one he hadn’t met yet. there were a few pictures with two additional people, a black haired chubby wizard, who seemed to lose the weight as he aged and a blonde haired girl, who looked surprised every time the camera went off. “Would you like a drink?” he asked, realizing it would be rude not to, although it was rude to begin with, this wasn’t his home but it felt it. He’d already begun to inform an architect what he wished for in a property, planning on rebuilding the Hale house, but not where it was, no he planned on tearing it down. It was a mass grave to him, rebuilding on top of it would have been at the height of disrespect and contempt and those were certainly not things he felt for his family, even if he was intolerable to put up with some times. He also intended to ask Harry to put the same wards on his new place of residence when it was done, he’d pay him everything he wished to have that security. To know nothing of the sort would happen ever again. 

“Merlin, yes, please,” Hermione was quick to agree, she’d been so busy with perusing the files that had crossed her desk that she’d frankly forgotten to eat or drink. They were all very old cases, with barely any hope of them being closed, but she would try her hardest to accomplish that. To give closure, even if there was nobody there to get closer for. 

“I’ll get them, coffee?” Derek asked, finding it difficult, he’d gone so long without anyone in his life expect Laura that social interactions felt very weird and foreign to him. It didn’t help that he didn’t much care for social interaction anyway. Yet he did find himself curious about what this woman wanted, and why she wished to converse about the Alpha pack. 

“With sugar and cream please,” Hermione said, giving him a smile, before she began to drag implements out of her small purse and set everything up. Including the Dict-quill which would record everything they said so that she didn’t need to try and keep up. 

Peter watched in rapid fascination, despite knowing about magic, reading about it, he hadn’t actually seen a lot of it in person. Quidditch matches didn’t count, as magical as that had been…it was only scraping the surface of what he knew magic was truly capable of. It might be something simple to the wizards and witches out there, but Peter truly was captivated by it. 

“I understand that the majority of this information is just heresy, information from third parties that we have no way of confirming,” Hermione begun, but despite the fact she didn’t say the words ‘Interview with Peter and Derek Hale, Harry’s house: Unplottable’ scribbled along the top before Hermione’s words begun to scrawl down. “Just tell me everything you know, I’ll see to it that any information is confirmed so don’t worry about that.” 

“Of course,” Peter replied, leaning back looking at Hermione expectantly. 

Hermione watched him, he was confident, self-assured and smug, like the interview was about to be about him. A darker haired version of Draco Malfoy for sure. She smothered her amusement wondering what the seventeen year old version of her friend would have thought she’d end up with a mate that was so vividly like Draco. Not that it was a bad thing, Draco had matured, but he’d always have that smarminess around him, the confidence in his own abilities. Harry had been able to handle Draco though, and no doubt he’d handle Peter just as easily. “Harry mentioned something in the letter about an attack here in Beacon Hills?” 

“Yes, there were confirmed talks on Deucalion trying to set up a peace conference in order to bring peace between hunters and werewolves.” Peter liked her immediately given the look of disbelief on her face. At least she wasn’t gullible enough to believe it went anything other than badly. 

“Deucalion? A son of Prometheus that is rather…ironic,” Hermione couldn’t help but mutter, he could be likened to a Noah of Greek mythology. 

Peter’s lips twitched, finding himself warming to the girl more, anyone with obscure knowledge and smart was alright by him. 

“Here,” Derek said, passing over a cup to Peter and Hermione before claiming a seat with his own, which was hot chocolate, he’d watched Harry make it and copied him. He made the best hot chocolate he’d ever tasted, even better than his mom made and wasn’t that a shock? Maybe it was the subtle adding of more herbs? Either way, it was his favourite bit of the day, unwinding with a chocolate at the end of the day. 

“Thank you, Derek,” Hermione said, immediately cooling it and taking a drink of the perfectly temperature liquid with gratitude. “So there was a conference set up?” she prompted, giving Peter all her attention. 

She didn’t see the flinch or the haunted look that adorned Derek’s face. 

“Yes, he tried to convince local packs to join him, Alpha Satomi was one of them, Talia and Alpha Monroe and Alpha Teague I believe.” Peter answered, “None of them believed peace with hunters was achievable, less so when they learned that Deucalion had invited the Argent hunters of all people to the conference.” 

“I see,” Hermione murmured, but she didn’t, she couldn’t, she was perplexed by Deucalion’s mind. Why on earth would he try to garner peace by inviting the Argents to a meeting? It made little to no sense to her, they were hunters, of course they’d use that time to set something up. It was at the height of carelessness. “I am rather hoping they didn’t attend this meeting,” her lips pursed, she loathed the thought of innocent werewolves being hurt, even Deucalion as deluded as he was. 

“If rumour is to be believed, Deucalion turned up to the meeting with only one Beta, his second in command,” Peter revealed, grimacing slightly, Deucalion was not his favourite werewolf, much too friendly and believed in sunshine and rainbows. Or at least he had done so, too soft to last long, but he had been a willingly bitten wolf back in the day, sometimes Peter thought that Deucalion was more human than wolf at times. Believed the best in humans in the long run. His reality had obviously shifted since the conference. 

Hermione closed her eyes, shaking her head, pinching the bridge of her nose, then pressing her fingers to her forehead, “Then what is said to have happened?” reluctantly opening her eyes, filled with resignation and quite indignation at the stupidity of people. Going to a peace conference with only one Beta as back up, it was utter foolishness.

“That information is seriously lacking I’m afraid,” Peter replied, “What we do know was that somehow Deucalion was blinded, many hunters were killed and that later Deucalion’s Beta turned up miles from the fight dead, with claw marks that suggested he died by a werewolf, an Alpha werewolf.” the supernatural cleaned up after its own messes for most part, other times humans found them first, and they had to avoid suspicion.

Hermione swallowed, “Blinded? How can that be? You heal like nothing I’ve ever seen…just how damaged do they need to be in order to prevent healing?” her mind whirling as she tried to think of something that would explain it, but there was nothing. “Wait, you said Argent, do you know which one was responsible for the attack during a peace conference?” 

“The Head of the Argent family, Gerard Argent, normally the family is Matriarchal run, but Gerard Argent ran his circle with a tight fisted control that exists to this day.” Peter said, a horrible sneer of his face just talking about Gerard Argent. 

“Yes, I believe Harry’s already looking into him, which means I’ll need to find out what he knows.” Hermione made a mental note to discuss the hunter with Harry. There was no point to her starting from the beginning when Harry had been hard at work on the despicable human being. 

“Stick around, you’ll get to meet him face to face,” Peter grunted, before drinking his coffee, as always Derek had made it just the way he liked it. 

“Meaning?” Hermione asked, her eyes sharpening, a feral look coming to her face. 

Peter watched the transformation in awe, perhaps she was the one who should be running the department after all. She was almost as feral as them at any rate, she was he sensed loyal and determined, the perfect person to be a werewolf. Too bad he couldn’t bite her, he’d rather her running the department than someone else less worthy. If she was a werewolf, they might see her being too biased in favour of her own kind. Although if she asked…Peter would agree within seconds. “His daughter disappeared here, or at least to him it will seem so. Considering she was after us, he will deduce that we have done something to her. He will come looking for retribution,” 

“So that’s why Harry begun looking into him so quickly,” Hermione muttered quietly to herself, if she had been in anything other than a werewolves presence, nobody would have known what she said. “I should have guessed,” Harry had a reason for everything he did after all. Which means he more than likely knew more than she first assumed. 

“He is quite determined to see justice through,” Peter agreed, making no secret of the fact he’d heard her words. 

“Yes,” Hermione said, a sad smile twisting her features, “That’s Harry for you,” it was the only life he knew, from the age of eleven upwards. 

Peter and Derek said nothing, there was no need to, they’d both been treated to Harry’s need for justice. To his kindness. 

“Deucalion’s Beta was killed by another wolf, I assume he did the deed?” Hermione got back to the matter at hand. 

“Unconfirmed but likely given what has been going on for the past six years,” Peter said dryly, eyes darkening just a tad as he dwelled on his own horrific six years. He didn’t think he’d ever get over being completely abandoned by what was left of his pack. To the mercies of the humans, where any hunter could have killed him off without raising suspicion and quite easily. It would have been an extremely embarrassing and humiliating way to go. 

Hermione’s eyes glimmered with sadness and pity, for what had become of Deucalion. “It’s a terrible shame what became of him,” obviously he hadn’t remained a hippy werewolf more interested in peace that’s for damn certain. If the rumours were true of course. “Tell me what you can,” she told Peter, her tone still firm, the pity and sadness long gone. Yes it was sad, but at the end of the day he’d begun killing his own kind, it was unacceptable. Criminal, reprehensible. Murderer. Serial killer. No matter the circumstances, she had to remind herself that was what Deucalion had apparently become.

“Derek?” Peter suggested, he’d know the details and dates better than him, since all he’d gotten was a compendium of information from his contacts without dates, times and much in the way of true details even when pressed. If she was going to be seeking answers, she needed as detailed reports as she could get. He’d been a lawyer he knew how these things went, although it may be different in the magical world who knew? Certainly not him, he was too new to this new magical world he found himself immersed in. 

“Deucalion’s pack was gone after the attack, for the longest time people assumed that the hunters got them all. Their bodies were never found, have never been found even to this day. That’s the usual method of a hunter, they liked to clean up their messes, although usually they just buried them and made the area look untouched. Nobody wanted to believe that Deucalion had killed them, he was one of the kindest werewolves, believed in peace and quite frankly he’d be the last one you’d think to accuse.” Derek shrugged, “For the next few years there hadn’t been a single sighting of Deucalion in any supernatural way, until something happened in Beacon Hills, but it was after Laura and I left.” Shame coating his voice. 

“Another incident here?” Hermione asked, beginning to think this place was bad luck. “Are you sure? Was it in the paper? It’s far too close to Harry for him to write it off as nothing.” Especially if it was a werewolf incident. 

“No, it wasn’t in the paper, again just rumours and speculation,” Derek explained, “Kali is a well known Alpha in the werewolf community, and mostly kept to herself. Until her Beta’s turned up dead, along with the speculation that her Emissary died that day too. At the exactly same time, Ennis’ Beta’s and Emissary turned up dead so the speculation was probably accurate. Deucalion had convinced Kali and Ennis to kill their Beta’s and Emissaries absorb their powers for their own.” 

“And Ennis…was he well known?” Hermione asked thoughtfully, her suspicion growing. 

“Yes, he may not be particularly smart, and mostly communicates through his fangs and fists but he cared about his pack…or at least used to. He was inconsolable and demanded retribution over the Argents when his Beta was killed. To add insult to injury he couldn’t see the Beta because he wasn’t related to them.” Peter informed Hermione. 

“That’s three, so there are two more?” Hermione asked, staring between the two of them, “Any other packs just shown up dead emissaries and all?” assuming there would be at least two more. 

“Not exactly,” Derek conceded, “About two years ago a pack was killed, quite viciously, by that I mean torn apart, not even Alpha’s have that sort of strength. From what I understand…everyone died, there wasn’t a single survivor so I don’t believe it could be the same thing.” 

“Do you know when and where?” Hermione asked, determined to get to the bottom of it. 

Derek answered her questions. 

“It has to be connected, one doesn’t just get two additional Alphas out of nowhere, there has to be another incident that explains the two joining the Alpha pack.” Hermione murmured, as always her mind rushing in a million different directions, as she speculated on what happened. “All were within a certain distance…maybe that’s it.” 

Derek’s lips twitched, Hermione actually reminded him of Stiles, the quiet mumbling to himself as he tried to figure out what was going on. He was smart though, he’d figured out Scott was a werewolf, figured out how to help him, to keep him anchored, it was amazing really. For a new teenager, just suddenly immersed in the supernatural world. It was almost as if Stiles had been meant for the supernatural world. Thinking of Stiles made him think of Teddy who would be returning tonight for the full moon. 

“Do you have any idea to their end goals?” Hermione asked, her lips pursed, Deucalion didn’t make sense, she didn’t like things that didn’t make sense. Between his peace hippy ways to his convincing the others to kill their packs? What on earth did he gain from it? 

“No,” Peter replied immediately, it was something Harry had been thinking about moments after he’d found out about the Alpha pack. Harry and Hermione were a lot alike, but if they’d been though the same thing, it was hardly surprisingly. Neither of them could shut it off any more than he could shut off being sarcastic or manipulative. 

Derek silently agreed with Peter, he didn’t get what Deucalion was trying to accomplish, the hierarchy in the pack must be a bloody nightmare. There was a reason there was only ever one alpha in pack, anything more would completely destroy the hierarchy and make it intolerable, whereas a pack was meant to work in harmony once it grew roots and pack bonds begun to spring its own magic. His stomach churned just imagining it, killing your own pack, as despicable as Peter could be…even he wouldn’t kill his own pack, never in a million years.

“It’s quite odd, it’s almost as if they’ve never left the area, can you give me a list of the closest packs from Beacon Hills? In every direction?” Hermione asked, she’d need to talk to them eventually anyway. Introduce herself, explain her new position and garner their trust so that if they were bothered by anyone – especially hunters – that the werewolves would call upon her and her eventual team. She wished she could have Harry on her team, but unfortunately that wouldn’t happen. He wouldn’t be content to being on a team with her, doing the same thing day in and day out, no, he preferred very much, hunting down those who were a great danger to society on a whole. 

Between Peter and Derek they named every pack they knew from the north to the east to the west to south. The Dicti-quill recorded everything they said, as Hermione listened intently to everything she was hearing. Then Peter and Hermione began to argue speculatively over what Deucalion’s potential end game was. 

Derek slid out of the house during that time, too much socialising for him. 

Time to sniff out Cora he thought, and he was off like a shot. 

\---------0

“Y-y-you really stuck your neck out for me didn’t you?” Scott asked, a tortured look upon his face. “Why?” utterly baffled by Harry’s apparent kindness. 

Harry sighed, claiming a seat in the unfamiliar living room, and it was unfamiliar to him, he’d only been in it once after all. Perhaps it was time for the full truth and let Scott make of it what he will. “Scott, the way you were bitten would be a shock to anyone, I don’t blame you for your reaction. I do however, blame you for what followed. You were so stubborn and refused to see the reality in front of you. Hurting Stiles, refusing to try and become pack members with those who have infinitely much more experience with their wolves. Refusing to listen to those who knew better, and because of that you killed someone. Your denial was infuriating, and the way you believe your wolf to be the bad guy in all this also is entirely vexing. However, it doesn’t mean I don’t understand denial, I do, and you’re at an age where you don’t want to listen to the adults around you. Regardless of your attitude to me, and to those around you, you’re still just sixteen years old. You don’t deserve to end up in prison, although part of me is reflecting on the fact you’re the same age as my son and I would want someone to help him if the situation was reversed.” Not that it would, his son knew better, Harry had drummed it into him, get safely behind wards, always take your potion until Teddy didn’t need the reminder it was too ingrained for him to forget. Added to the fact he had become a murderer when he was sixteen too…even if it was for survival and those people were trying to kill him. 

Scott closed his eyes, his stomach rebelling dangerously, he understood the dangers now, it didn’t mean he wanted to be part of Peter Hale’s pack. “I don’t want to be part of Peter’s pack, he bit me, he tried to get me to kill my friends.” 

“Is that any different from you nearly killing Stiles on your own free will?” Harry asked sadly, he got it, he really did, he was a stubborn as a mule too. Although, if for any reason he became a wolf, he would do his best to make sure nobody got hurt because of him. “You have to join a pack, perhaps Satomi is your best bet.” 

“But I don’t want to leave Stiles,” Scott protested, what he meant by that was Allison, being in another pack, farther away meant he wouldn’t get to see her. 

“Not only that, werewolf politics dictate if you stay here you need Peter’s permission…given the presence of the hunters in the area and you being an Omega he might decide that he doesn’t want you here. Hunters track down and kill Omega werewolves, Scott, at least that’s what they’re meant to do. Unfortunately, too many hunters become…enthralled with the kill and soon enough it doesn’t matter whether the wolf is an Omega or not. Your presence will be causing more tensions than Peter can deal with as the Alpha of Beacon Hills territory.” Harry revealed with brutal honesty. “You and your mom will have to move, closer to Satomi, you’ll need her as a Beta werewolf, which means she’ll need to find a new job, you’ll need to find a new school.” 

“I was here first,” Scott grumbled, he didn’t see why he should have to move at all. He was of course, lying through his teeth. 

“You really weren’t, the Hales were here first, they built this town, they’ve been here since its conception.” Harry replied, finally, finally sensing he was getting through to the teenager. “Who was where first doesn’t really matter, he’s the Alpha of Beacon Hills, just as numerous Hales have been this past century.” 

“I don’t trust him,” Scott said simply. 

“I know, unfortunately, your judgement is clouded, Peter was feral when he bit you, Scott. He had no anchor, his humanity was all but gone. Unlike you when you killed that girl, he didn’t stand a chance. Perhaps if you are able to forgive Peter for his deeds…you’ll be able to forgive yourself for what you did and move on.” Harry suggested. “If you do join Peter’s pack you cannot hang on to that judgement, you have to forgive and forget, you have to build some trust with your alpha. Being in pack is about family, having their backs, them having yours, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.” Remembering his own experience at feeling everyone through the pack bonds. “They won’t abandon you, they’ll stick with you through thick and thin.” 

Scott felt his heart soar at the words, it was all he’d ever wanted really, he didn’t want to be abandoned again. Although truthfully, he’d been glad when his dad left. Being pushed – however accidentally – down the stairs by his own father had left scars on him. Could being a pack actually be likened to family? Was this what he had found? Yet, he honestly didn’t like the thought of going near Peter Hale, and he didn’t trust Derek any better. Could he force his mom to have to move? No, they’d came here because it was a job she needed, it was the only one that gave her the hours she needed and for the money she needed to keep the house. She might not find a job like the one she had again, and she’d be miserable and blame him if he had to make them move. So, if they didn’t move, he would need to join the Hale pack, something he didn’t want to do. However, for his mom…he would swallow his protests, it would just be until he was finished school. Then he’d be going to college and university to become a Vet, he’d never be here would never have to see any of them. He’d be ‘pack’ satisfy his wolf, but stop him going feral, that way everyone wins. 

“I’ll think about it,” Scott said, he’d need to make sure he worded everything in a way that didn’t reveal his true motives, he wouldn’t put it past Peter to say no if he realized what he wanted out of spite. Truthfully he did want to be part of a pack, he just didn’t want it to be Peter and Derek’s. 

“It’s all I wanted you to do, kid,” Harry revealed sincerely, “It’s all I’ve wanted.” He added as if once was never enough. 

“Thank you,” Scott said, genuinely heartfelt, if not for Harry he would have ended up in prison and that couldn’t be denied. 

“I just want what’s best for you, Scott, just don’t give me cause to regret it.” Harry stated, as he stood, or have to kill him if he didn’t join a damn pack and became Feral. 

“I won’t,” Scott swore, the last thing he wanted was to end up in prison or worse ‘put down’ as the President of MACUSA said. 

“I’m glad to hear that,” Harry said sincerely, because if Scott did anything that would be on him. Some people didn’t cope well with being a magical creature, Remus had never fully accepted himself. It’s why he’d gone to such great lengths to make sure Teddy did, to see all the good and not the bad. Hopefully Scott would come to see how lucky he was, how good it could be too. He was doing this for Scott as well as Stiles, he knew Stiles didn’t make friends easily, Scott and Teddy were truly the only ones who got him. It would destroy Stiles if anything happened to Scott, he didn’t just consider them best friends, but brothers. “You going to be alright now?” it seemed the shock was beginning to wear off. 

“Yeah, promise,” Scott said, eager for Harry to leave now so he could skype with Allison. He’d need help keeping in touch with Allison at school, but could he trust Stiles? He was part of the Hale pack…and he didn’t want to test whether Stiles’ loyalty to the pack came before their friendship. Who was he kidding? He and Stiles were best friends, of course it would be him he’d pick. Stupid thoughts really. 

“Alright, kid, take care of yourself,” with that Harry apparated on the spot, he didn’t need to keep it a secret anymore, he just hoped he wasn’t going to end up regretting this. If he revealed the magical world to the hunters…he could very well have another war on his hands between the No-Maj’s and the wizards. Then again, they planned on getting rid of the hunters, they were a danger to the supernatural society on a whole. 

\------------0 

“If you ever hurt him, I’ll do my utmost to make you pay, you understand that right?” Hermione warned Peter, completely changing the subject from Deucalion to Harry in a nanosecond. If he’d been anything other than a werewolf, the abrupt change in subject would have given him whiplash. “That’s after I’ve banished your balls away from your scrotum, and made it so you can’t utter a single word again,” 

Peter unconsciously crossed his legs, unashamedly terrified of her threat, which he knew she could carry out, all without leaving a single bloody scar more than likely. Werewolves were able to do a lot, but could they repair damage done by a witches magical power? If they were anything like Darachs then no. “How long have you waited to give that speech?” Peter asked dryly, unable to help himself. 

“Are you kidding? I’m going easy on you, Harry terrified dozens of my prospective suitors over the years, sent them running as if the hounds of hell were on their tail.” Hermione replied wryly, eyes twinkling in amused frustration. “They all seemed to believe he’d do it too, he was ah…very explicit when describing what he’d do to them I’ve been told.” 

“So this is both payback and you being overly protective,” Peter easily deduced, a wicked smirk on his face, he understood protectiveness. “How long have you known each other? I’d say nine or ten by the pictures,” forgetting of course that humans don’t age quite so quickly as werewolves. 

“Very close, Harry was eleven I was twelve, but we were in the same year at Hogwarts together,” Hermione informed him with a small wistful smile, Merlin it was insane how naïve they’d been to the world around them. “Harry and Ron were friends first,” her breathing hitching when she mentioned his name. 

Peter sat up, a concerned look on his face, and it wasn’t entirely feigned, he could smell the utter heartbreak and sadness wafting from her in droves. He didn’t need to be told t hat this boy, Ron, presumably one of the boys in the picture…the red head, the timing fitted, he had died. But that heartbreak…this all-encompassing suffering sadness he had a feeling it went farther than just a first loves death. 

“Ron and I didn’t get on at first,” Hermione said, pain slicing through her heart, she didn’t often talk about him, but for some reason she found herself wanting to talk about him. “But you can’t go through what we did and not come out with a bond that nothing can break,” not even death could break their bonds. 

Peter nodded, he understood her words far greater than a normal human ever could. As a born werewolf, those bonds were all he knew, losing so many of them as an adult had almost broken him beyond repair. He was still broken in a certain way, but not like before it seemed Harry and Hermione had been through something similar. He was undeniably curious to know what happened to this ‘Ron’ but didn’t dare ask, he had a feeling it wouldn’t end the conversation well at all. 

Another pop heralded the return of the Master of the house. 

“Hermione…I see you’ve met Peter,” Harry said, a knowing gleam in his green eyes as he observed both of them. “Are you staying for dinner?” 

“Considering we have a lot to discuss, yes,” Hermione replied immediately, never one to turn down Harry’s cooking. 

Harry arched an enquiring eyebrow, slightly confused by her declaration.

“Gerard Argent,” Hermione answered the unspoken question. 

“Ah, then I guess we’ll be busy tonight then, where are Derek and Cora?” Harry asked Peter, “They deserve to know as well, it will prevent any surprise attacks.” 

“Then he’s already here?” Peter asked, his tone and countenance calmer than expected. 

“He is,” Harry nodded firmly answering the question. He knew where they were, if he activated the beaconing charm, knew they were both safe at all times, he had stopped just taking anything for granted. They were his pack, he wasn’t sure how it came about, but he’d damn well do everything in his power to make sure they were alright and safe. He wouldn’t allow Derek to be tortured again like the way he had been by Kate Argent. 

“They’ve always arrived in time for dinner, I see no reason as to why that might change,” Peter explained, “How did things go today?” aware that Harry was at his wits end with Scott McCall. 

“Actually, I think we might have made a breakthrough when it comes to McCall,” Harry said, relaxing a little, “If you’re staying for dinner, I’ll need to add yours to the prep, why don’t you come through? I have your favourite wine, Hermione, Teddy’s going to be really happy to see you again,” 

“Me too,” Hermione said, following Harry and Peter through to the kitchen, Harry’s magic making him a glass of her favourite wine and Peter a glass of firewhisky. “So, what happened today?” she asked after taking a drink, yum, exactly how she liked it. 

 

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And finally everyone will be in the next chapter! I'm really stuck on whether to have Scott truly change or whether to completely screw himself by doing one last stupid thing! The question is...could it happen? can you see Harry being fooled by Scott? he doesn't read everyone's minds of course, so its possible...but I don't like Harry being easily fooled then again Harry's going to have a busy time of it between the Argent case and the new case assigned to him by MACUSA so he won't be around...much...question is will he get there in time to save the day or will he be too late? R&R please!


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